Piping Hot
by CSG4ME
Summary: A strange tid-bit, ok, my longest story EVER that I wrote during school. It's a babefic as always and it's just another twisted plot my mind came up with for R and S to FINALLY get together!
1. Chapter 1

I looked at the file folder in my hand. This girl was 18 years old, and being charged with assault. There was a note that mentioned something about a cake. Why do I end up with the crazy ones? I drove across town to the 'Burg to pick the girl up. The address listed turned out to be a beautiful little home with (naturally) sparkling windows and a front garden full of lush, blooming jasmine. I rang the doorbell, half expecting some hormone crazed teen to come leaping out at me, brandishing a spork. Imagine my surprise when the door was opened by a tall, sturdy looking girl wearing a knee length lilac halter dress and a yellow apron. It was the kind of ensemble that my mother dreamed of me wearing. This girl was headed for a white picket fence adulthood, I was sure. "Can I help you?" she inquired with a smile.

"Um, yeah. Are you Abby Foster?" She nodded. "I'm Stephanie Plum, Bond Enforcement Agent. I need to take you in to reschedule your court date." Abby looked pale and then let out a stream of curses that would make a sailor proud.

"This is not what I needed today." She muttered. Then, she looked into my eyes. It was a little bit uncomfortable, mainly because I was used to my skips leading me on a merry chase through the garbage, not staring at me quietly in their doorway. Suddenly, Abby smiled and blinked, breaking the eye contact. "Pineapple upside down cake." She stated calmly, like it made sense in the conversation we were having. I must have looked confused, because she giggled and continued. "It's your favorite" To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Was this girl on something? Some magical dessert discerning drug? "yeah. AND?" Ok, that was a teensy bit more aggressive than I had planned. Probably not a good idea to taunt a teenaged girl wanted for assault.

Abby seemed to take my attitude in stride. "I'll make you a pineapple upside down cake if you wait to take me in until it's done baking. I already have stuff in the oven, and it will be a while before I can leave anyway. Unless, of course, you want to be responsible for my house burning down?" I mentally cracked my knuckles. That last sentence was a definite allusion to my history of exploding things. But, she did offer me cake, and cake has a tendency to cloud my better judgment. I found myself agreeing and being ushered into the house.

As I stepped into the house I was assaulted by the smell of chocolate and baking bread. If Ranger was here professing his undying love to me, then I'd be in heaven. As it was, this was pretty close. My eyes must have glazed over because Abby smirked and asked, "smell something you like?" smart ass. But then the smirk turned into a smile, and she explained. "It's the infamous 'idiot' cake that you're smelling right now. No one can resist the temptation" the last bit was said in a strange accent, and I couldn't help but laugh. "so this cake of yours, why the infamy?" She smiled, and for the first time I noticed the manic glint in her eye. Combine that with the name of the cake she was baking, I could only assume that she had boy troubles. "The cake has been known to soothe many a heartache, and baking is my way of dealing with stress." She led me into the kitchen and I was astonished by the sheer number of baked goods. Cupcakes, muffins, cakes, loaves of bread. My heart flipped over. "You see anything you like, grab a bag and take it with you. I don't need all of this."

"So, baking as stress release eh? What on earth has got you this nuts?" Ok, wow Steph, super smooth, you don't sound nosy at all. Abby's nostrils flared briefly and I remembered that she had been charged with assault. Maybe following her into the house hadn't been a good plan. "Well, what else but the idiot I went and fell for?"

"Ah" something I had learned in this business, make sympathetic noises and people will pour their hearts out.

"Have a seat." Abby gestured to a chair over by the counter. "One of the rules of idiot cake is that while its baking you have to talk about the reason you're making it." She grabbed a bowl and wandered around the kitchen snagging ingredients out of jars and off shelves. "We can take turns."

"hey, I don't have ma-" the look she gave me stopped me cold. It said 'even you aren't good enough at denial for that one to work.' I sighed. Why hadn't I been that good at her age? I grabbed a couple of cookies and a cupcake to munch on while she talked.

"So, it all started when I moved here at the beginning of sophomore year" I almost choked on the cookie that I was eating,. The burg had done this much to the girl in only two years? "I didn't have any friends here, and the girl who was supposed to be helping me around grabbed a map from the office, highlighted my classrooms, and left me at the door of the first one." I grabbed another cookie. Damn but those were addictively delicious. "By lunch, I wanted to die, and, walking into the cafeteria I realized that I had no one to sit with. There was this brooding hottie sitting all alone at a table, so I figured, what the hell. At least I'd have some eye candy to make lunch more enjoyable. Anyway, Oh, you have to try one of those. I'm still working on the recipe" She handed me an sort of bar. Like everything else I had been stuffing my face with, it was delicious. "We sat without speaking for a while, which gave me a good chance to look him over semi-discreetly. He had black, longish hair, fair skin, and the greenest eyes I had ever seen. Definitely muscely and attractive. I think I might have drooled a little bit. Anywho, I'm really not a fan of awkward silences, so I was like 'Hi, my name's Abby. I just moved here from CA. ' He looked at me like I was on something and said "Sean" and then went back to his lunch. So then I was like, 'I'm trying to perfect a cookie recipe. I baked these last night, can you try one and tell me what you think of it?' I figured that everyone liked sweets, but then he was like ' I don't eat sweets' and that was the end of that conversation! Later that day, after school, I was walking by the lockers. I had stayed late to talk to my new teachers, and these 3 guys who were in my math class were all like 'hey Blondie, wanna go for a ride?' and I was like 'NO!' and they sorta did this like" She paused in the middle of stirring batter together and made a ring with her hands

"like they closed in around you in a circle so you couldn't see all of them at once?" I interrupted. I knew from experience how friggin terrifying that little maneuver was.

"yeah, so I'm getting ready to make a break for it, and one of them grabbed me from behind. So I started kicking and yelling, and out of nowhere, the guy who I ate lunch with earlier comes to my rescue. He took out one of 'em, but then the other two ganged up on him. I so I had to do something. I had all my new text books so I cracked one of them in the head with it and while the other one was distracted by a flailing biology book, Sean took him out. I was really shaken up, and Sean came up to me and asked 'you ok?' and I was like 'yep' but then…" Abby stopped again to shake her head

"The world went a little fuzzy around the edges, and you needed to sit down?" I knew that feeling too. Actually, Abby seemed to have my kind of luck if this story was going where I thought it was.

"Pretty much. I felt really wobbly, so I decided. Alright, actually, I half fell into a sitting position against the lockers. Sean sat down next to me quietly for a while and just let me breathe. Then he asked me if I needed a ride somewhere. Well, I wanted to say home, but no one would be there and there were no supplies there either. So I asked him if he could drop me at the grocery store instead and then I could take the bus home. That way, I could bake something to thank him. " Abby opened a can of pineapple rings and put them in the bottom of a pan. "So he took me to the grocery store, and then wouldn't let me get on the bus, so he drove me home. Then, when we got to my house and no one was home because they were in Germany."

I had to interrupt Abby then. "So, your parents moved you to a new city and then just left the country?"

"Well, yeah. Technically, the move was my idea, so they figured I could handle myself in a city that I had chosen. I mean, it didn't make sense for them to fly from CA to Europe all the time, it meant that they could spend less time with me. So instead, I decided that we should move to the East Coast and picked this lovely suburb of Trenton to call home."

"huh" was my eloquent response. No way in hell would my family have picked up and moved if I suggested it, even if it would have made their lives easier. This girl was obviously capable of managing by herself, so how on earth had she managed an assault charge?

"Right, so, Sean offered to keep me company until my parents got home and then when I laughed, he got all mad. But then I explained that they were in Germany and wouldn't be back for a week. He offered to drive me around for a few days, and 'help me get settled'"

I knew how this story ended, so I decided to make life easier on everyone and tell the ending myself. "So you guys started dating, have been together from then on, and now that high school is ending you're not sure what to do?"

Abby slammed the cake pan, now filled with batter, against the counter. "No! that would be normal. Ugh. Instead, we became best friends. Then one night, he kissed me and it was like, like I never wanted it to end. SO since then we've played this game of cat and mouse. But it's sooo frustrating. He lives on Stark street, and his brother is a pretty serious gang-banger. So he's constantly in danger, and he thinks that if we're in a relationship that I will be too! But, he still shows up at my house for dinner when my parents are out of town, and I deliver baked goods to his mom and some of her friends all the time. And, he keeps kissing me like he has a right to. Not that I object or anything, but it's just so confusing"

I had found myself nodding along to Abby's story. The girl really did have my luck. She finally finds a guy that could make her happy, and he refuses because he wants what's best for her. "Men are such dumbasses. They think that they know what's best for us, so they deny us the only thing that they really want. Then they turn around and take it anyway, even though they told us we can't be together about a bazillion times and that it's never gonna work. And then after they kiss you or you know, whatever, they're all like 'what we give each other has no price' and 'I love you in my own way' what the HELL does 'in my own way even mean damnit!" So, maybe I was just a teensy bit more frustrated than I thought.

Abby shook her head. "Alright, now you have to tell me the whole story." And I did. She didn't know me, or ranger, and that somehow made it easier to tell her about how we met, the incident with the shower rod, the deal and the morning after. All of it. Halfway through my explanation, the oven timer dinged and Abby pulled out something that smelled heavenly. Seeing my hungry look, she smiled and interrupted my narrative to tell me that it had to cool a while first. Five minutes later, right when I was talking about the night of the deal, she cut slices from the cake. My first bite melted in my mouth and I might have moaned because Abby smiled sardonically and queried, "Is my cake that good or are you thinking about that night?" I flushed red to the roots of my hair and then we both burst out laughing. As soon as I was done with my sob story and had eaten another slice of cake, Abby pulled the pine-apple upside down cake from the oven, turned it out, and wrapped it up for me. Then, she packed ¾ of the baked goods lying on the counter into a basket and we left to get her re-booked.


	2. Chapter 2

So I thought that I would add here what I forgot to explain in the first chapter. This is post 12, post joe and Steph permanently breaking up. Characters might be a little bit OOC because I mainly wrote this while I was bored to tears during my economics class. The first chapter was a little bit Abby centric, but rest assured, Steph and everybody's favorite man in black are the featured romance!!

Also, I don't own any of these characters. If I did, do you think the horrifically annoying love triangle would have continued for FOURTEEN books?

The drive to the cop-shop was uneventful. Although I desperately wanted to grab another cupcake from the basket on the backseat. "so I'm thinking that we need to smack some sense into our potential boyfriends." Abby began. "I have a few ideas, but most, if not all, are completely ridiculous."

"I want to hear them anyway. I'm desperate." Actually, desperate didn't even begin to cover it. Ever since Joe and I had permanently parted ways I had been waiting for Ranger to do what he'd always said he would. But of course, he had given me more space than usual. MEN!

"Okay, option one. Send them mysterious yet meaningful gifts, like you know 'secret admirer' type stuff until they are either driven away by our incredible stalking skills or realize how dumb they are and declare their undying love for us."

I pondered that for all of three seconds and then shook my head. "It won't work. Also, if they don't realize that we're the one's doing it then they'll come running to us for advice on how to ditch crazy stalkers, and that would be embarrassing for all parties. Besides, If they hadn't pulled their heads out of their asses yet, gifts and mild stalking aren't going to solve the problem." The fact that I just said that out loud was insane, and I started giggling. Abby joined in and we were both in hysterics. We calmed down slightly, but then "touch my body" came on the radio and we cracked up the rest of the way to the station.

Connie was waiting for us when we pulled up. I had called her earlier so that we could bond Abby out quickly. Abby grabbed the basket of goodies from the back seat and walked into the station with Connie and I trailing behind her. We glanced at each other. This was hardly standard operating procedure. As soon as we were inside I felt a familiar tingle down the back of my neck. This was bad. Ranger + Me + Food + unrestrained teenaged FTA was not a good combination. But I hadn't exactly seen Ranger yet, so I might escape unscathed and unembarrassed. (yeah right. The likely hood of that happening is nil).

All of the sudden, Big Dog rounded the corner, saw Abby and me and grinned. He sidled up to her and said in a stage whisper, "Do you know… the muffin man?"

Abby pretended to be afraid "the muffin man?" Big Dog tried to make a menacing face, but the laughter in his eyes gave him away. I was confused and amused by this strange behavior. Abby leered and said "I might know the muffin man" and then they both collapsed into giggles.

"How's my little baking fiend?" Big Dog asked.

"Still fighting the assault charge, but I've got something for you" Abby held out the basket

I was suddenly distracted by the weight of a hand on the back of my neck. I knew who it was. "Any idea what's going on here?" I queried to the mystic man in black.

"You'll like this story Babe" Connie had managed to pull Abby away from big dog, and now they were headed over to the booking desk. "Well, Big Dog and Abby's parents used to be good friends, so since they're gone all the time, they asked him to look in on her once or twice a week. You may have noticed her baking"

I snorted it was impossible to miss. "we better keep her and Ella separated. Between them they would concoct irresistible confections, and then we'd have a whole new set of addicts to deal with on the street."

Ranger chuckled and then continued with his story. "They developed that routine that you just noticed. One day, Big Dog couldn't swing by her house, and conveniently enough, Gaspick volunteered to check on her. From what I heard, Gaspick was driving by and saw Abby, carrying a baking sheet, chasing a boy out the door. She tackled him on the front lawn, and proceeded to smack him repeatedly with the baking sheet. Gaspick managed to pull them apart, stuck Abby in the backseat of his cruiser and took her down to the station on an assault charge. By the time it came to light that Abby had just been defending herself from an intruder, she had already been charged. If she had showed up for her court date, the DA would have dropped the charges. Now, they just have to reschedule."

I was trying not to laugh to hard at the image of Abby chasing some dumb hoodlum with a baking sheet. It was something I would do. You don't break into someone's home without consequences. Well, most people didn't anyway. Connie and Abby, presumably finished re-bonding her, were fast approaching. Abby was talking animatedly to Connie , but her eyes were looking from Ranger to me and then, she smiled. I didn't like the look of that grin at all. She whispered something to Connie, who put her hand to her mouth to cover a grin. Abby arrived in front of me just before Ranger could make a clean getaway. I was praying that she wouldn't say anything mortifyingly embarrassing in front of him. Dear god, have mercy. Abby stared at ranger, blinked a few times, tilted her head and then grinned. Ranger arched an eyebrow at her. I wanted to do the same, but my eyebrow refused to cooperate. She leaned in and moved her finger in a 'come here' motion. Ranger obliged and leaned in. Abby whispered something to him, grabbed my arm, and then started towing me towards the car. I glanced back at Ranger to see if maybe his masked had slipped. To my surprise, it had. The corners of his mouth turned up, just slightly.

As soon as I was sure that we were out of range of the bat-radar I turned to Abby and asked "What did you say to him.?" Abby smirked in that obnoxious all knowing way that she had. "Just that he should eat his favorite dessert more often." This pricked my curiosity. I remembered the way that she had told me that pine apple upside down cake was my favorite. "Well, what is it?" Hey, a girl wants to know these things! Abby's only response was a raised eyebrow.

We climbed into my car so that I could drive her home, (and maybe grab a few more cookies). Abby was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. For the first time that day she looked sad and tired, just like the love-crossed teenager that she was. I sighed and leaned over to turn on some tunes and lighten 

the mood. Suddenly, the melancholy silence was broken by Abby screaming "Steph, look out!!" I looked up just in time to see the car in the next lane fishtail out of control. I heard a crunch, and then everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Be proud of my posts so quick together! Ok, so I hope you guys are liking this, but I wouldn't know because I have no REVIEWS (pointed glare) ahem. Well, some feedback would be nice, but regardless I'm still posting.

Again, if I owned Ranger do you think I would share? (Other than to flaunt him in public of course ; ) )

Ranger's P.O.V.

I could see why Big Dog didn't mind hanging out with Abby. The girl had guts, just like My babe. "You should eat your favorite dessert more often" If she only knew that that was. I was driving back to Haywood when my phone chirped, pulling me out of my so-called zone.

"Boss, Steph's car was in an accident. Police scanner says two victims, both unconscious. They're being taken to Trenton General." After hanging up without a word and making several illegal turns, I was speeding towards the hospital. The cops and I had come to an understanding. When I was responding to a Steph-related incident, my cars were off limits.

The zone had been broken. I was trying not to panic. Of course my Babe had been through more than a simple car crash and come out more or less unscathed. But it only took one time… I couldn't let my thoughts go there. Shit. I shifted gears and stomped on the accelerator. 115 was not fast enough to get me there.

Three minutes later, I was trying not to run through the hospital. Some young man didn't have an image to protect, and he sprinted in front of me to the desk. "Abby Foster, she was in an accident. Where is she?" He panted, managing to sound polite, but worried. The nurse gave him an icy look and asked, "Are you family?"

"No, but her parents are in London right now and I'm here to take care of her."

"Do you have any proof of that?"

I knew that he wasn't going to give the nurse an answer that she wanted to hear, so I stepped in front of the boy. The nurse immediately smiled and said "She's in room 402."

I glanced at the boy behind me. He looked sick with worry. I'd been there before. "What about Ms. Foster?" The nurse pursed her lips but gave me the information I was looking for. I guess she figured that if Abby and Steph had been in the same accident I needed to know about Abby too. "She's in surgery."

The young man behind me lost color, and I thought for a second that he was going to throw up. Then I got it. Abby was his Steph. I used my most charming smile on the nurse. "This is Richard. He's Abby's brother . Make sure the doctors know he's here." And that was it. I had other fish to fry. Hopefully the boy would be smart enough to just go along with it. I heard the nurse explain to him about paper work, and then the elevator closed, taking me to the fourth floor.

Room 402 was just like every other hospital room, but Steph was lying in the bed, either asleep or knocked out. She was surrounded by the requisite machinery, but on closer inspection I noticed a few small cuts on her face, and her cheekbone was swollen and bruised. But her heartbeat was steady and it looked like everything else was normal. I pulled up the "visitor's" chair and watched. 15 minutes later, nothing had changed.

There was a timid knock at the door. I turned and saw the kid that I'd helped earlier. "Thanks for getting me in here. I really appreciate it." I was surprised that he'd even been paying enough attention earlier to remember the room number that I had been given.

"Don't mention it." Can't have word getting out on the street about helping young men be reunited with the girl that they love.

"Is she ok?" He asked, nodding towards the bed. "I'm sure Abby will want to know"

"She will be"

His voice had caught on her name. "Is she out of surgery yet?" Steph would want to know too.

He shook his head. "The doctor said that it's going to be another hour. Apparently there were some complications." His voice cracked again, and I felt sorry for this young man. I had been in his shoes before, and it was the waiting without definite information that was the worst.

"I'm sure she'll be fine" I reassured him "She's got spunk"

He nodded, and smiled just a little bit at some private memory. "That she does. Well, thank you again. My name's Sean by the way, if you need anything."

"Sean. Could you let either me or Steph know when Abby gets out of surgery?"

Sean nodded and left the room. I was tempted to sigh. The waiting was the worst.

Rather Abby-Sean centric again, but you'll see why pretty soon (if you haven't already) please let me know what you think so far! I'm dying for reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, so updates might not be as fast as they have been because I don't have the rest of the story completely written out. But, seeing as I have unlimited time on my hands right now, hopefully I'll still be able to churn and burn baby!! Ok, ONWARDS

Sometimes I pretend to own ranger, but we all know that that's only a fantasy. Sadly, he belongs to JE and of course Steph (even if he refuses to admit it!)

Steph POV

My head hurt. It really really hurt. Did I get drunk last night? I squinched one eye open and immediately slammed it shut again. Shit. Hospital. What the hell had just happened? I opened my eyes to look for clues. Machines, ugly pictures, Ranger, Closed door. I turned my head sharply. Ranger. So, apparently something bad had happened. But, he was sleeping, so I knew that no one was out to get me . I noticed then that he was holding one of my hands. I was tempted to move the other one and stroke his hair, but that would wake him. Sill, my hand twitched. Apparently that was enough to register on the Bat-radar because he opened up his eyes and almost smiled. "Yo" I managed to croak. Ugh! Was that my voice? I felt like something had died in my throat. Ranger offered me some water and I thanked god for ESP.

After I had enough to drink to speak properly I asked "what happened" Something flickered in Ranger's eyes

"What do you remember?"

"Well I was at the police station with you and then I got into the car with Abby…"

"A man in the lane next to your right lost control of his car and crashed into you."

All of the sudden, I couldn't breathe. "What happened to Abby?"

Ranger shook his head "Ten minutes ago, she was still in surgery."

If I hadn't already been reclining, I would have fallen back down. Abby, that bright and sarcastic, Amazing baker in surgery. I couldn't even picture her standing still. The whole time she was in my car she had been tapping her foot or dancing in her seat. This was all my fault. If I had been paying attention to the road instead of changing the radio station, we might have avoided this whole thing.

Ranger, who always knew what I was thinking shook his head and cupped my head with both his hands, gently, but with enough strength to force me to look at him. He was thisclose to my lips and he whispered "Not your fault Babe." Funny, usually I was the one defending me. But suddenly, it dawned on me how close we really were. If I could just lean up and teensy weensy bit we would be kissing. Ranger must have had the same thought because all of the sudden the eye contact between us intensified. I would have to be the one to close that last gap.

For the first time, I did. I leaned up just that last millimeter and pressed my lips to his. Ranger must have been shocked, I was never the aggressor in our relationship. But soon, I couldn't think because 

Ranger's shock faded and he took control of the kiss. When my heart rate monitor started bleeping much higher rate, we broke apart.

"Steph" Ranger started and then shook his head.

I already knew what he was going to say. Something along the lines of 'my life doesn't lend itself to relationships' or 'I love you in my own way.' I didn't want to deal with that.

But then, Ranger did something that surprised me. He stroked a stray piece of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. He kissed me again lightly then laid me back against the pillows. He grabbed my hand in both of his and pressed a kiss to my fingers. We sat like that until I fell asleep.

I know I know, short chapter. But, the next one will be longer and way more interesting!!

Reviews make me feel loved and post faster. Thank you muchly to all of those who have reviewed thus far.


	5. Chapter 5

YAY, yet another chapter! I'm on FIRE tonight!!

Don't own anyone except Abby and Sean. I WON'T SHARE SEAN TOO!! Ahem. Right. Onwards

A faint knocking on the door to my room woke me up. I opened my eyes to see an unfamiliar man. He was tall, and, while not as built as Ranger. He had quite a nice body. When it registered that the guy I was almost ogling (I mean come on people, I'm in love, not dead) Had black hair and green eyes, I realized with a start who I was looking at.

"Sean" Oh shit, I shouldn't have done that. Now he'll know that I know who he is. As soon as I had uttered the name, ranger turned away from the young man to look at me. His raised eyebrow implied a question that I would have to answer out loud. "Abby was baking idiot cake when I came by to pick her up." Ranger looked confused, but Sean looked guilty. Guilt-tripping was the Burg way to get people to do what you wanted them to. I just took another step closer to becoming my mother.

Sean had stopped his progress across the room when I mentioned idiot cake. I turned my head to focus on him. "How is she?"

"Out of surgery, and the doctors say that I have about 20 minutes before she wakes up. That means that with Abby, I have ten at the most." He smiled faintly. I could tell that he liked her fighting spirit.

"So what are her injuries?" Ranger queried.

Umm, I know I'm not exactly mistress of tact, but jeez, a little more sensitivity! You can tell the boy is worried. I shot a glare in ranger's direction.

The little smile on Sean's face died. "Her right leg is broken in three places, she has two broken ribs, and massive abdominal bruising."

"She's lucky" Ranger interjected, looking visibly relieved.

I expected Sean to find that comment harsh, but he just nodded "I know" There was a little pause and then he said "Well, I better get back before the que… I mean," and here he blushed "before Abby wakes up."

I caught on to that little stutter and it made me curious. "What were you about to call her?"

Sean mumbled something under his breath and then said "The Queen of Confectionary Delights. Ask her to tell the story of how she earned that title when you come to visit" He turned to go, but I had one more question for him to answer

"Hey Sean!" he looked expectantly at me. "Does Abby always tell strangers what their favorite desserts are?"

Sean laughed. "Yeah. Sometimes she'll tell a person the name of something they've never tried before, make it for them and then have them try it. She's never been wrong either."

I smiled. Good, I wasn't getting fat from all that cake and she had just guessed my weakness. "So, what's yours?"

Sean shook his head. "She won't tell me. She says that she's waiting for the right moment."

"So if she looks at someone for a few seconds, blinks and grins…" Ranger started.

Sean grinned. "She's figured it out."

Then Ranger did something wholly unexpected. He blushed.

Ok, I know I know, Another short chapter. But tune in next time, because when Abby wakes up, the feathers will fly!!


	6. Chapter 6

OK, so now the moment you've all been waiting for (or at least I hope it is!) A new chapter. We're not quite to the land of HEA yet, but we are taking a teensy detour to the land of PDA. If you're nice to me ahem REVIEWS it won't take too long and you'll have some souvenirs!

If Ranger was wandering the streets all alone, I'd claim him for his own protection. Unfortunately, that will only happen in my dreams and he remains the property of JE and Steph.

Ranger was blushing. I was deciding whether or not this was a sign of the apocalypse.

"So babe, what's idiot cake? And how does that explain how you know Sean?"

Hah. That was the lamest attempt at distracting me that he has ever done. I might even win this battle. "you're blushing. Why? You turned red after Sean said that Abby knew what everyone's favorite desert was, even if they didn't even know. Which means, that you know yours, and that her knowing is not good."

"you're reading too much into this Babe."

I nearly crowed with victory. I had him, and he knew it. "So what's your favorite desert batman?" I should have been prepared for his response, I mean come on, I was taunting a superhero here. But I was shocked when his eyes, usually a sinful chocolate, melted into black pools of lust. My heart skipped a beat. Literally. The monitor chirped, and then the high pitched beeping got faster.

"Sure you wanna know?" Ranger was practically growling now, and if I hadn't been so in love with him, his proximity to my body would have sent me screaming to another country. As it was, my heart rate skittered along even faster. I nodded, not trusting my voice at this particular point in time. Ranger grabbed my shoulders, and forcefully brought his lips crashing down on mine. All of the sudden we were locked in a full on battle. It was a game of seduction, and I couldn't lose. I think Ranger had been expecting me to pull away from the desperate harshness of his mouth against mine, but I was sick of the usual routine. When we broke apart for air, Ranger had that sated smirk that he always gets after he steals a kiss. But I wasn't satisfied just yet. Who was he to decide when that kiss ended. Who was he to decide anything about this relationship. He was a man. Men were inherently stupid about certain things. So, I lunged forward, grabbed him, and pulled him to me for another kiss. I'm pretty sure we made out like teenagers for a good 10 minutes, but then I sort of lost track of time. If the world had ended, I don't think I would've noticed.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Our little session was ended by a doctor clearing her throat in the doorway. "As much as I hate to interrupt," she began with a rather wicked gleam in her eyes. "I just wanted to let you know Ms. Plum that you are free and clear whenever you are ready. Mr. Manoso has assured me that he can take care of you for the next 48 hours just to insure your safety."

"SO I'm done? No annoying instructions? No overnight stay in the hospital? THANK THE LORD!!"

"Well, you were unconscious for a while, but your boyfriend assures us that he knows how to take care of someone after head trauma. Considering the amount of time you've spent in the hospital over the last few years, I was willing to let you go on this one."

Ok, so not only had I escaped another near-death experience with minimal damage, I had also managed to find the only reasonable doctor I had ever met. D decided to let the boyfriend comment slide. That was a battle for another day. Besides, I think that I was in love with this woman.

"No activity for the next 48 hours either. I know it may be hard for you two love birds, but hands off. No bumping uglies, hide the salami, or horizontal tango for two days. Got it? And Ms. Plum, I'd like you to either check in with your regular health provider after that time."

Scratch that. I hate this woman. Talk about mortally embarrassing!

I muttered something non-committal, signed some papers, and then Ranger half-carried me to the door. But, I wanted to stop by Abby's room first. We stopped by, and the sight that met my eyes made me want to cry. Abby's right leg was in one of those horrible metal things with the pins, and her face was black, blue, and swollen. Everything else was covered by a sheet, but I assumed that "massive abdominal bruising" meant that her torso would be at least as bad as her face. But, I was already in the room. Sean was laughing until he saw us in the door. He leaned down to the bed and whispered something to Abby.

"Shteph!" she exclaimed rather loudly. "and Batman too. Shee, I toold you" Abby's speech was slurred, and she sounded like a two year old.

Sean shook his head, clearly trying not to laugh again. "They have her doped up on enough pain meds to stop an elephant. I don't think the filter between her brain and her mouth is working currently."

"I can hear you, ya know." Abby lilted in a rather sing-song voice. "Besides, my filter doesn't work like ever"

I giggled. "Mine either."

"Sho, Shteph. Did the revised plan work yet?"

"The revised plan ?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You know what I'm talking about. "

I remembered our conversation on the way to the police station. "I don't think we can talk about the success or failure of the plan until certain people leave the room." I nodded towards Sean and Ranger, who both looked amused but totally lost. Shocker.

"Correct" Abby agreed with a dead on British accent. "Beshides, if something were to shlip I wouldn't be able to face schertain people ever again." The last half of the sentence was said in sing song, but I agreed with her sentiments.

"Why don't we just have this conversation when you feel a little better."

"What are you talking about? I feel awesome." Abby raised both her arms to demonstrate and gave a sort of gurgle of pain. Instantly, Sean moved from the foot of the bed to Abby's side. He gripped her hand while she squeezed. Were they practicing for the birth of their first child? "K. never mind awesome." She let go of Sean's hand and made a shooing motion. "Can you go get me a diet coke? Fountain style? My stomach isn't feeling too stable right now. "

"You got it ******a thaisce" And with that, Sean ushered myself and Ranger into the hallway.**

**"****Sean, have you called her parents yet?" Ranger seemed pretty concerned for someone who'd only just met Abby. Hah. I knew he was really just a softie after all.**

******Sean shook his head. "They decided to take a second honeymoon after Abby's graduation. They're on a world-tour cruise thing, and we can't get a hold of them."**

******I frowned. "Whose going to take care of Abby?" I mean, I have my own justice league looking after me, and my spidey sense was prickling. Somebody needed to look out for this girl.**

******Sean rubbed his hand across his face. "My house isn't safe for her. I was thinking that once she gets out of the hospital, I could stay in her guest bedroom until she's mobile again. But after that? I have no idea. I don't like the idea of her alone in that house."**

******I shook my head. Neither did I. Suddenly, I had a genius idea. My eyes slid over to Ranger. He said he had an empty fourth floor apartment… I willed his ESP to kick in. No way was I going to volunteer his hospitality. But I could send mind waves to make him do it. **

**"****She can stay in my building. When she can move around comfortably, she can assist Ella, and that will pay her rent for her." **

******Sean looked like he was about to protest, but Ranger held up a hand. "I have the most secure building in Trenton. She'll be totally safe. And Ella might want to retire someday soon. That means that my housekeeping position will be on the market. This is just advance training in case of that eventuality. Besides," and here Ranger grinned "I had one of her low-fat muffins at the station once. Really, I'm just doing it so she'll cook for me and my men"**

******I snorted. With Abby around and able to hold a spoon the merry men would never go hungry again.**

******Sean slowly nodded. "If Abby and this Ella agree to it, I wouldn't be able to thank you enough. I would be allowed to visit right? And Abby would still be free to go around?"**

******Ranger did his version of a Burg glare. His version is much scarier than mine. If He looked at me like that, I would find something else to look at. But Sean just stood his ground. **

**"****I don't keep prisoners."**

****

******I almost snorted. Seriously? My heart had been his prisoner since day one. Wow. Please tell me that I didn't just have that thought. And, if you're feeling generous today God, please tell me that Ranger wasn't able to ESP that one. **

******Sean nodded. "I'll talk to Abby when she is a little more lucid. Is there a number I can reach you at?"**

******The exchange of information ensued, and I was finding it increasingly hard to stay on my feet. **

******Ranger put an arm around my waist and said, "Time to go home Babe"**

******I couldn't resist this opportunity. "Your place or mine?"**

**A Thaisce** (_ah hash-keh_) My Treasure (Gaelic)

******Yay!! A long chapter. Ranger has had a mild personality transplant, but THERE IS A REASON. Don't worry. I haven't completely done away with his normal self. All will be explained… Eventually. **

******To my reviewers. I LOVE YOU GUYS!! I was thinking about how to end this on my run today. Your feedback (and inspiration) saved everyone from a truly lame ending. So. Relax, Enjoy, Keep the feedback coming!!**


	7. Chapter 7

I have become addicted to this story, and now I can't stop writing it AHHHH! Ok, well the plot has gotten twistier as time has gone on. I totally know what I'm doing, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep until I get it all typed up. WOOT (perhaps cutting back on the sugar might help?)

Ranger has evaded my capture again. Alas. He remains the property of JE and Steph. But Sean is MINEMINEMINEMINEMINE!!

One Week Later

I felt the urge to bounce. Now, usually I would attribute my uncontrollable bounciness to sugar. Today, it was because of the message that Abby had left on my phone. I hit replay one more time and almost started dancing around my apartment.

"Steph, Hey. It's Abby. So I've been out of the hospital for two days, and as much as I love Sean, he needs to go back to work, and I need to do some work. Ella and I are cooking today. Also, I have a plan… a devious plan. Anyway, 3:00pm Rangeman break-room. Be there and be hungry"

I could hear the maniacal laughter that Abby was holding back because of the pain in her ribs. The girl was still on a crapload of meds, but although a little hyper and talkative, she seemed to be doing ok. She had to wear this hard plastic corset looking thing to protect her ribs, and she couldn't move herself around. She needed someone to push the wheelchair for her. However, she could sit and stand in one place, and stir with her left arm. Abby was back in the kitchen.

After four days in the hospital, Sean had driven Abby back to her house and they had packed everything that they thought she might need for a stay at Rangeman. If it had been me, we wouldn't have been able to fit everything in one car. Abby had all of her stuff in one suitcase and a duffle bag. Ella had been there to meet Abby in the garage, and she shot me a knowing look when Sean lifted Abby out of the passenger seat of his car and into her wheelchair.

Ella and Abby got on like wildfire. Abby spent her days in Ella's kitchen. I think all she did for the first two days at the apartment was re-arrange the sandwiches that Ella made. Ella wouldn't let her lift a finger. Now though, it seems that Abby has gotten her to relent. I have been running in preparation for this day.

I looked at my watch. 2:30. Ok, so now I had to occupy myself and keep from salivating over the deliciousness that Abby and Ella had doubtless prepared for snack time, and I had to keep my mind off of the plan that Abby mentioned. Yeah, total cinch

After 10 minutes of Ghostbusters, I started pacing. I could organize my closet. That would keep me busy. After 5 minutes of rifling through clothes, I found the black dress that Ranger had suggested I 

barricade myself into my room rather than hear his opinion on it. I grinned. If Abby's plan didn't work, I had a genius plan of my own.

The drive to Haywood was uneventful, although these days I'm more cautious than usual. But, I finally got to the Rangeman offices, and up to the 6th floor. I was a bit late due to my lack of crazy driving. It was 3:01. Every man in the company (or so it seemed) was in the breakroom. As soon as I wriggled my way through the crowd I understood why. Abby, who, although 18 looked 22, was serving what appeared to be mini cakes. How on earth had those slipped through the bat radar?

As if my thinking summoned him, Ranger entered the room. I know this because the men parted like the red sea before him. He walked towards Abby (and the tray of cakes)

"What is this? If there is going to be food in the breakroom, It should be healthy.

Abby smiled, and I think a few men in the room stopped breathing for a second. Geez, even in a wheelchair they could tell she was tall, blonde and young. Even with fading bruises around her eyes, when she smiled… I grinned to myself. That girl would wrap these guys around her little finger in seconds. If she hadn't already.

"Well Sir, they are healthy. I can rattle off the nutritional facts if you like."

Ranger gave her a curt nod

"Every cake has 150 Calories, 40 from fat. 20 grams of protein, 2 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fat and 4 grahams of carbohydrates. "

Ranger's eyes widened in surprise, the equivalent of a shocked gasp from anyone else.

"So, in short, they're better for you than most protein bars"

"And a hell of a lot more delicious!" Lester chimed in.

Satisfied for the moment, Ranger turned and walked out. Abby 1 Ranger 0. That was a new one.

"Steph!" Abby called out, seeing me for the first time. "you have to have one of these. Ella and I just invented them."

I bit into a cake, and instead of the usual chalky taste of a power bar, all I got was chocolate. Another bite, and I melted. Delicious chocolate joy.

Ella appeared at Abby's elbow and the men gave them a round of applause. They both blushed and made their excuses, and then turned to go, leaving the platter of nutritious cakes unguarded. They were gone before I blinked.

I followed Ella and Abby up to Ella's apartment, a place I had never been before. As soon as I opened the door, I was assaulted by the smell of chocolate, probably from the cakes, and something savory, probably ranger's dinner. The apartment itself was spacious, although the living room area was small in 

order to compensate for the gigantic kitchen. The living and kitchen area were painted a cheerful yellow with blue accent tiles for a backsplash and granite countertops. I could see two ovens and a 6-burner range. My mom would die if she knew that I was friends with people who had kitchens like this.

Abby turned to Ella and they had a brief conversation in Spanish. The result of which was Ella heading for the door, smiling and clucking her tongue. I gaped at Abby.

"You speak Spanish?"

"Well yeah. I'm super close to being fluent, but I don't get to practice much. Ella says my accent is good but my grammar needs some help."

"I need to learn Spanish, It's like, the secret language here."

Abby grinned and clapped her hands together. " I know. And that's where my new plan comes in"

I didn't quite follow, so I motioned for her to explain herself

"Ok, Do you have any idea how much the guys around here talk about you?" I shook my head "A lot. And most of the time, it's in Spanish. Now, why do you think that they do that?"

Understanding dawned "Because they know I don't speak the language"

"Right. Now, in Sean's house, the secret language is Gaelic. Half the time I have no idea what is going on. And Sean says little things to me in Gaelic all the time. I'm assuming Ranger does the same thing in Spanish to you?"

"Yep"

"Right. So. I think that they say those little things in other languages because there's no way that we could understand and call them on it. Like, if Ranger went around mumbling under his breath in Spanish about how obsessed he is with you, which he does by the way, and you could understand him, you could force him to talk to you about it."

"So your brilliant plan is for us to learn how to speak foreign languages?"

"Yeah. It makes sense to me. Is it the drugs?"

"I can see how it would be useful as a long term weapon, but short term I'm thinking that we need new strategies."

"Clearly, your brain is functioning on a higher level than mine right now. Do tell"

"So, we're not going to do the whole 'make them jealous' thing. That's sooo high school. We're doing the adult version of that. It's called, make them want you so bad they can't think straight."

Abby giggled. "The plan might work for you, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not looking so hot right now."

I shook my head. "Honey, I'm from the burg. One word. Makeup. That'll cover the remaining bruises right up.

Abby frowned. "it's not just my face Steph." She lifted up the hem of her shirt to reveal the plastic casing that encircled her torso. And then, slowly, she undid the Velcro that held it together. When Abby opened the case, I could see what abdominal bruising really meant. Even 7 days after the crash, her stomach was purple and green, especially her right side. And there were angry stitches marching across her ribcage. "They need to wire my ribs back together" was all she said by way of explanation.

My hand reached out to touch the bruises, but I pulled back when I heard the door open. I turned and saw Sean.

He started towards Abby, who was struggling to pull her shirt down. Unfortunately for her, it got caught on the still open plastic brace.

"Ella said you were up here and.." Sean stopped talking the moment he lost his honorable fight to keep his eyes off Abby's exposed skin. However, his feet kept moving forward, and I moved out of his way.

Sean dropped to his knees in front of Abby's wheelchair. "show me." His voice was quiet and scared and angry. Abby's hand shook as she lifted the hem of her shirt again.

This was not a moment that I was meant to be part of. I snuck out the door, and, as I closed it behind me, I saw Sean's hand reach out towards the damaged flesh of Abby's torso.

OK. Cliffie, I know. And usually, I am firmly against them. But, fear not. Before tomorrow afternoon the next chapter will be posted, and a little will be revealed. Untill then, REVIEW!! The more email alerts that I get the more inspired I become


	8. Chapter 8

I know I promised to post before the afternoon, but time has a way of running away from me. Ps, I know I promised only a short layover in PDA, but because of new plot twists, departure has been delayed. So, without further ado, chapter 8

Ranger and Steph belong to each other and JE

Inside the Apartment (Sean's POV)

As soon as I saw the too-colorful flesh of Abby's stomach, the anger and fear that I had felt the day of the accident came surging back to me. Her skin and her leg were painful reminders of how close I had come to losing the girl that I loved.

The anger was mostly self directed. I hadn't told her yet that she meant everything to me. And I hadn't told her the real reason why we couldn't be together the way that she wanted. Besides, my brain kept reminding me, we were young. She was only 18 and I was only a year older. The fact that my grandparents had married at those same ages meant nothing. Times had changed.

The fear ran a little deeper than the anger. If I had lost her in a stupid car crash without having ever told her… The thought was horrifying.

Now, staring at her abused flesh, I was reminded how close I had been to losing her a week ago. I remember praying while she was in surgery. I had promised every deity that I could think of that if she was just ok that I would tell her the truth. The whole truth. That way, she would know. After Abby woke up though, I had rethought my plan. Abby was stubborn. She was a fighter. If I told her everything, including how I felt, she wouldn't care. She would want us to be together. And I couldn't risk her like that. I was determined to keep her safe.

Abby's skin was a reminder of how bad I was at that.

My hand had stopped while my mind raced, and I was shocked when Abby guided my palm to her stomach. I couldn't help myself. Every time we were in the same room I fought to keep my hands off of her. Now, I had her permission, and my fingers traced the outlines of the green and purple patterns. I expected Abby to hiss in pain, but what she did surprised me. She shivered.

I pulled my hand away and looked into her face. Her eyes were closed, and I could see the yellow and brown marks of faded bruises. There was still some swelling around her face, and I was frightened by how battered she still looked. Her body had definitely been beaten, this time by a car. But next time, it could be my fault. If she was with me in the way that I ached for her to be it would put her in the type of danger that the men here were worried about keeping off the streets and out of the public eye. I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't do that to myself. If I ever lost her…

I kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry." It was all I could say.

I turned my back on her, and as fast as I could without running, left the apartment and the building behind me.

AHH angst. Yeesh. I thought we were going to be in happy land, but sadly nsm. Don't worry, all will be revealed in time. I know it's a short chapter, but the next one will be posted tonight. Until then, reviews are appreciated!!


	9. Chapter 9

I'm sorry for the two sort of cliffies in a row. I'm typing as fast as I can, and I stop to post when I'm at a good break-off point

I can't think of a clever disclaimer. I'm too busy plotting.

Outside the Apartment (Steph POV)

I could have gone back upstairs after I kicked myself out of Ella's place, but instead I sat in front of the door. I was guarding it from interruptions. The way that Sean was looking at Abby, I figured they'd thank me. So, here I sat, imagining tender scenes and declarations of love. Instead, a few minutes after I leave, Sean comes barreling out the door. I couldn't move for a second because I was so surprised. What on earth had happened in there. And then I heard the sob.

I rushed in to the room. Abby was trying to Velcro her brace back together, but her hands were trembling, and there were tears running down her cheeks. I carefully took the straps from her and then, when she was back in her torture device, I moved to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"What happened?"

Abby's voice shook "He. He thinks I'm disgusting" She gasped and then winced in pain. Probably crying with two broken ribs is not a good idea.

"What on earth makes you think that?" What had that idiot boy gone and done now? I was going to have to have a little chat with him pretty soon.

"He came in and sat by my feet and then, he touched my stomach. He was so gentle and then he stopped, paused for a second, kissed my forehead and said he was sorry, and then he ran out the door."

I was shaking with fury. The boy was probably scared shitless when he saw all the damage that had been done to the girl he loved. But running from it was not the right way to handle it. "He doesn't think you're disgusting." I tried to brush away that fear at least.

"No? Then why didn't he even bother to give me his usual monologue about how it's not safe for us to be together, and that I need to find someone who can make me happy? He just said 'I'm sorry' and left. It sounded so, so final"

And then Abby lost the war she had been fighting not to cry. She was heaving and crying, and I wasn't sure whether it was from the pain of crying or the pain of the finality of Sean's departure. I tried to hug her, but it was awkward with her in the wheelchair. Then, she threw her head back and release one of those silent screams where your throat is working but no sounds are coming out. This was bad.

"I'm sure he didn't mean good-bye. Maybe he just had to get back to work"

Abby shook her head and cried harder. She gulped for air and gasped out "His eyes"

Shit. I knew what she meant. I remembered how Ranger's eyes had looked the morning after the night we spent together. Right when he told me to work things out with Morelli, it had seemed like a door 

was closing. Ranger was the master of the blank face, but his eyes on that morning… It made me want to curl up into a ball and howl like Abby was doing.

I was trying to soothe her, but my efforts seemed wasted. She was shaking now, and if she didn't calm down soon I was sure she would do some damage to herself. I did the only thing I could think to do. I called for help.

Ranger picked up his cell on the first ring. He must have figured that if I was calling him from the same building something was up.

"Where's Ella?" Hmm I sounded a touch panicked.

"She's cleaning my apartment"

"Can you get her back to her apartment ASAP!" Wow, now I sounded freaked out. Then again, Abby was sucking air through her teeth and had her hands clenched against the arms of her chair. She was still crying, and each sobbing breath seemed to hurt her more. I hung up on Ranger.

"Calm down, it's all going to be ok" Once I got my hands on Sean it would anyways. I might not be able to fix my own love life, but I could fix Abby's.

Ella and Ranger rushed into the apartment almost simultaneously. They must have run down the stairs to get here so fast. One look at Abby had Ranger on his cell phone, and Ella was stroking Abby's face, crooning to her in Spanish. None of it was helping. A few moments later, Bobby rushed in, holding a syringe.

"I'm sorry" He said before plunging the needle into her arm.

Abby's eyes rolled back in her head and suddenly the apartment was deadly quiet.

Bobby rolled Abby's chair to the doorway, and looked at Ranger.

"406" he said, and threw Bobby a key. As soon as they were out the door he turned to me "Babe, explain"

"Sean came in, while Abby was showing me when 'massive abdominal bruising' meant. I left, and apparently, he freaked out, told Abby he was sorry, and then kissed her goodbye."

Ranger's hands tightened into fists.

"Ranger, I think that something is going on with him. He told Abby that it's isn't safe for them to be together. But it doesn't make sense. He has a steady job, apparently she already goes over to his house all of the time. So what I'm wondering is what's the added risk if they get romantically involved."

"Babe, maybe he just doesn't want to get hurt."

"Bullshit Ranger. Something is going on here. Surely you can feel it to?" Ranger nodded slightly. "I know this falls into legally grey, morally right, but I was wondering if I could run some searches on Sean. Figure out what's going on. I want to talk to him anyway, but I need to know if there's actually danger or if he's just being a bastard."

"There's something that's been bugging me too. I know he's a nice guy, but he's definitely hiding something. You can use your usual computer to run the searches."

Finally I thought. I might get some answers.

Ok, as a side note. In case you forget Abby had broken ribs. Believe me when I say that talking hurts, and crying feels like somebody stabbed you. Repeatedly. And then beat you with a sledgehammer. So. Abby had to be sedated because she couldn't stop crying and if she had continued she would have messed herself up even more.

Please please please review. Constructive criticism is welcomed, as is praise!!


	10. Chapter 10

I wasn't going to post this tonight, but I figure that you guys prolly want to know what I'm smoking. So, here you go! Please review, I need some feedback, on these next few chappies especially!!

If I owned Ranger I don't think that I'd let him out of his cage.

"Gotcha" After four hours of exhaustive research, I had the answer. The reason that Sean was keeping his distance, romantically at least, from Abby. I pushed my chair back and went in search of Ranger.

I found him in his apartment on the 7th floor. He definitely had the home court advantage for the battle of how to deal with what I had just found.

After explaining what my search had turned up, Ranger and I sat and stared at each other in silence. "So, I figure I'll go have a little chit chat with him tomorrow" I was itching to get my hands on him. He needed to get it together. Besides, I had a rant all prepared

"Babe, I think you should let me handle this one."

"What?!" Ranger grimaced at my tone. So maybe that had been a teensy bit high pitched. "No."

Ranger raised one eyebrow.

"Don't look all confused with me mister! You are the LAST person who should be talking with Sean about this! If anything, you'll convince him to push her even further away." I threw my hands up in despair. This was horrible. If Ranger and Sean had a little heart to heart, Ranger would tell him about how it's safer to have no one in your life. This was not acceptable.

"Babe, you have to face it. There's real danger here."

"Yeah, but maybe Abby's willing to take that risk. Maybe she deserves to know what the risks are before some idiot man in her life decides what's best for her!"

"What if nothing would be worth that risk"

"Don't you think she should be the one to decide that?"

Ranger had to give me a point there. I mean seriously. Free will much?

His curt nod convinced me of his concession.

"Fine. You talk to him. But you have to get him to talk to Abby before he makes up his mind. He needs to tell her the real reason he's putting her off."

"He needs to decide how much to tell her."

I slammed my fist against the couch. "He needs to understand how much holding back is hurting her."

Suddenly, I realized how much this same conversation could be applied to us. Ranger was always pushing me away because of the 'danger' without ever telling me what the danger was. That and he had made the decision that it was too dangerous without me.

Ranger seemed to be having the same revelation, because he suddenly stood up from the couch we had both been sitting on. "I'll persuade him to talk to her."

"Thank you"

And suddenly, the silence in the apartment was heavy. There were so many unanswered questions between us, so many things that we left unsaid. Things that neither of us were brave enough to say. But, tonight that would change. I was going to be brave.

"So…" but then Ranger turned and looked at me, and I chickened out. Just like I always do. "How's Abby?"

I had been chained to my computer for four hours, and I hadn't been updated.

"She's still unconscious. Bobby didn't give her that much sedative, but it reacted with the painkillers that she's on. According to Bobby's calculations, she'll be out for another couple of hours."

"I think I'll go sit with her for awhile. I need to think about things, and I don't think she should be alone when she wakes up."

Ranger nodded, but when I stood, he reached a hand out toward me. Before I realized what was happening, I was in his arms. I laid my head against his chest, and he held me tight. I sighed. It was when I got previews of what 'someday' entailed that I got tired of waiting for it to arrive.

I know you hate me for ending here right now, but never fear, there will be a new chapter tomorrow. I may not be able to post it until the afternoon, but it will be there. Until then, guess what Sean is hiding. If you get it right, I'll give you a cookie!!


	11. Chapter 11

Woot, I'm finally home, so here you guys go. I hope you like it….. I really really really would appreciate some reviews on this one, and the next, because.. well, you'll see!! Read and Enjoy!! (and then tell me what you think!!)

I saw a guy on the train who I thought was Ranger…. Even he didn't belong to me

Ranger's POV

I stood leaning against the wall outside of the Army recruiting center and shook my head. The boy was running for sure. I felt bad for Abby, she was nice and she could cook (maybe better than Ella) but, just like my Babe, she was headed down the highway towards a white picket fence. Sean couldn't give that to her, just like I coudltn give that to Steph. Still. Sean did owe her an explanation. The girl had a right to know why her heart was being broken_. 'Doesn't Steph'_ Chirped the annoying voice inside my head. I wanted to smack myself. Ever since the accident, that voice has become more and more obnoxious. I couldn't make it shut up the way that I used to, and that worried me. If I coudltn control the voice in my head, how could I be sure that the control I had over the rest of my body when it came to her would hold? The answer was, I couldn't.

I was snapped out of my musings by the jingle of the bell over the door that I was supposed to be watching. Sean shook hands with the man inside, and walked out of the door. Time for me to move.

"Does she know?" I asked, stepping out of the shadow that I'd been hiding in.

Sean whirled to face me. "About this? No. I just signed up today"

"About this, about you, about your family, about the real reason you look at her the way you do and then walk away"

Sean shook his head and said. "This isn't a conversation I want to have."

What, did he think that he got a choice in answering. This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have either. "We're having it."

Sean was angry now, I could see it in the way he held himself. "I don't owe you any answers."

I moved before he could and had him pinned against the wall in the shadows "You do actually. You need to tell me about why you lied when I asked you if there was any particular reason why you didn't feel safe leaving Abby alone. I took her into my building, with my protection, because Steph wanted me to. I didn't know about all this other shit. And I don't like liars Sean" I let him go then. I didn't want to have to expain to Steph why I'd damaged Abby's boyfriend.

Sean rubbed his hand over his face, no longer looking angry, just very very tired. I felt bad for the guy, mostly because I'd been living with the same brand of exhaustion for the past few years. I don't know how he'd handled it without some kind of training.

"Listen," I said "You can't keep doing this. If you push Abby away without telling her why, you'll just end up hurting each other more. She's not going to give up until you make her understand why exactly you can't be together. Just the words 'it isn't safe' don't work anymore. It's too vague. Pretty soon, she'll start pushing back, trying to break you down. It's one thing when she sort of goes along with you because she loves you, but when she plays dirty, boy you'd better be holding on tight."

Shit. I hadn't meant to say any of that. Stupid voice in my head. But at least now I had Sean's attention.

"Look. I'm not the best one to be giving you advice here, but I thought I'd spare you the idignity of being led back to my building by the ear. Steph was furious with you yesterday. I don't know how she and Abby managed to get so close so fast, but the two are as thick as thieves. Ever since the cake episode yesterday, my men are enamored of her, and Ella, who does all of my cooking and cleaning for me, has practically adopted her. So. If you don't march your sorry ass over to Abby;s apartment and tell her what the hell is going on with you, you're going to have an army of pissed off special forces men coming at you, being led by an exptremely creative pair of angry women."

So now we were back to threatening. Excellent. Threatening was good for the image.

Sean blanched at the mental picture that I was painting him "I'll drive you" I offered.

Sean nodded in agreement, and we set off towards my car, which I had parked a block away to avoid detection.

"Listen, Ranger. I know that you've only known me for a week, and I know that I can never thank you enough for giving Abby that apartment, and the 'job' as Ella's assistant. I just want to know why, if you feel so strongly about me telling Abby the whole truth, you haven't told Steph."

"This isn't really about me"

"Isn't it? I saw you at the hospital that day Ranger. I was sprinting to the front desk, but you weren't exactly walking either. And I saw your face when you were sitting by Steph's bedside. I've seen her look at you like its all she can do not to run into your arms, and I've seen you hold her like she'll break if you're not careful. I'm not blind and I'm not dumb. So don't tell me what to do when you can't even dig your way out of your own mess."

"What do you know about my mess?" I was furious but curious.

"I know part of what Steph told Abby. Those few days when she was in the hospital, high off her ass on pain meds, she told me a few things about you and Steph. I know that there used to be another guy involved, and I know that you've had several chances to be more than just friends. I know that every time she got close to you, you pushed her away. And I know that it made Abby wince just thinking about the pain that you and Ms. Plum have caused each other. She told me that it was a tragedy that two people who had been through so much together would be so carefully careless about the other person's feelings."

Sean finally stopped talking. We were sitting inside the truck now, driving towards the apartments. The silence in the cab was deadly. Both of us were itching to take a swing, and both of us knew that if the women that we loved found out they'd kill us both.

It was Sean who extended an olive branch while we were parking. "Look, I know it's none of my business, but Abby idolizes Steph, and she thinks that you are one of the best men she's ever met. I'm just saying maybe you should take your own advice." The fact that he could be so calm after all the ugly things we had said was surprising. Without another word, Sean got out of the cab and walked towards the elevator. I let him get on alone before getting out of the cab and dragging myself up the stairs.

I needed time to think.

OOOO so, I haven't revealed Sean's big secret yet, but things are about to get CRAZY(er) I'm going to go type the next chapter, you guys push that little blue button in the left corner and hit me with your guesses, criticisms, and thoughts!!


	12. Chapter 12

OK, so here goes. All I'm gonna say is I really need reviews on this chapie, cause I'm a teensy bit insecure about it. I know that I love it, but I wanna know what you all think. So please, even if you hate it and me for ruining a perfectly good story, let me know!!

If I could find Ranger or Sean in reality, I would lock them up and never let them go. That said, Ranger and Steph belong to each other and JE.

Sean's POV

I didn't want to get out of the elevator when the doors pinged open on the fourth floor. However, I knew that the entire building was monitored, and if I spent too long in the elevator, they would probably send Steph up to get me. That doesn't sound like any kind of fun. OK, so, deep breath. I walked down the hallway and knocked on the door.

"Come in" Abby shouted from somewhere in the apartment.

I swallowed one last time and opened the door. I was not expecting the sight that awaited me. Abby was sitting on the floor, legs in a figure four, leaning over a cutting board. She had a knife in her hand that was oozing red. Before I freaked out, I noticed the three bowls. There was one her left, one behind the cutting board, and one to her right.

"Whatcha doin?"

The response that I got was not encouraging. Abby's shoulders straightened, and without even looking at me, she stuck her hand into the bowl on the left, pulled out a whole cherry, pitted it, popped the pit into the bowl in the center and then put the two cherry halves into the bowl on her right. "Why are you here." It was more of an angry statement than a question

"We need to talk"

Apparently, that was all it took to get Abby's full attention. As the color drained from her face and she dropped the knife, I realized what that had sounded like. Shit. I didn't have much time to curse myself though, because Abby managed to lever herself upright by pushing herself up with her left arm on the coffee table.

"Are you serious?!" She all but screamed at me. "you've come up with some pretty good lines in the years that I've known you, and then you just waltz in here after that little scene yesterday and say 'we need to talk'? Well, let me tell you something mister you're damn right that we need to talk. We need to talk about us and why you won't let there be an us. " She took a breath to continue her rant, and I saw my opportunity.

"I know"

"Y- what?"

"I came here to talk to you about why I won't let there be an us"

We stared at each other until I realized that Abby couldn't be all to comfortable standing like that.

"Why don't you sit down, and I'll start explaining."

Abby nodded, but she was too far from the couch to sink into it. I picked her up and sat with her on the couch. I didn't want her looking at me while I explained all of this. I didn't want to look at her while I told her about who I really was. So we sat, me wedged into the corner of the sofa, and her leaning against me. It was how we always watched movies together, but this time the dramatics would be real.

"So, are you going to start talking?" Abby asked after a few seconds of me mentally procrastinating.

"Ok, here goes, and no interrupting until I'm done."

Abby nodded and I began my story

"10 years before I was born, my parents moved to this country with their 5 year old son, Aidrian. They left Ireland because my father was needed in the U.S., more particularly, Boston. My father was part of the Irish mafia, and some of the higher ups thought that he would be useful in the U.S. Never one to disobey orders, my father went. For about 9 years, everything was peaceful. My father went to work in the morning, came home at night, and my mother taught first grade. Aidrian sometimes tagged along with father to work. Everything seemed perfect. Then, violence exploded. There was a group of men who dislike what the big bosses were doing, and they tried to organize a coup of sorts. It took months, and it was brutal. Mom hated every second of it, and she was worried sick that the police were going to show up at her door one day and take her to the morgue to claim my father. However, things quieted down, and my father was safe. Then, the day mom found out that she was pregnant again, the rebel group made one last attempt at a takeover. My father was at the Boss' house explaining why he wanted a less active role and, as he was leaving to escort the boss to lunch, the rebels opened fire. The boss lived, but my father didn't. Mom knew before the chaplain and the officer showed up to take her to the morgue. She said that she could feel it when he died. As soon as he was buried, mom did the only thing she could think to do. She ran."

"I'm sorry that that's how your father passed." Abby sighed and shook her head. "Your poor mother. To have made it through the worst and then lose everything in the last stand"

When she was quiet again, I kissed the top of her head and continued.

"mom really had nothing to be afraid of, but I think that she just wanted to get away from all the violence. You know how much she loves the little parts of life." Abby nodded "Anyways, what she hadn't counted on was my brother. He had been raised in the Irish mafia, and believe me when I say that, like the Italians, they're big on revenge. He was 15 at the time. He took all the money that he had, and ran away from home. He called once to tell my mother what he was doing. He went to the boss 

and asked to take my father's place. He wanted to be a soldier. For Ireland, for revenge. The boos used all that fury to his advantage, and, when my brother was 16, he killed his first victim."

Abby gasped, which I knew hurt her. She had met my brother once. He had been charming and charmed by Abby, especially after she fed him. My brother had told me that if she was Irish, he would have taken her for himself.

"He's been steadily working his way up the food chain, and now he's the old boss' second in command. There's just one problem though. The boss has a son who thinks that he is better suited for the job than Adrian. "

"And where do you stand in all of this?" Abby interrupted again.

"I don't. My brother wanted me to join the ranks when I turned 15, but I didn't want to. My whole life my mother had been telling me how the mafia killed the only man she ever loved and stole her precious first-born from her. I wanted nothing to do with them. I don't think my brother has ever forgiven me for that."

"Is there more to the story, or are you done?"

"There's more. Well, the son of the boss thinks that I'm the perfect pawn to use against my brother. He says that my brother will just bring more violence and destruction if the boss passes the power down to him. He wants me to fight against my brother."

"Back this up. So, they know where you live?"

I nodded. "Like I said, my mom didn't have anything to fear from them. She just didn't want to be a part of that world anymore. And now my mother and I have become pawns in the power struggle between Adrian and the son. The boss is going to have to decide soon, and whichever way it goes, blood will be shed"

"And if we're together?"

"They'll use you as a pawn to get to me. And I refuse to let that happen"

We both sat in silence for a while, thinking.

Abby swung herself upright and faced me. I couldn't look at her. But, she cupped my cheek and tilted my head so that I was staring into her eyes. "I don't care."

I grabbed her fingers and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. "You can't throw your life away for me. I won't let you"

"I wouldn't be throwing anything away. Sean, listen. If they don't use me, they'll just use your mother. And honestly, I think that the boss knows what's going on. And, he's the boss. You seriously think he got there by being stupid? No. He's crafty. And he's old. Older and craftier and probably he is racking 

his brains on how to resolve this power struggle before it splits the group in half and leaves people dead. He'll figure something out."

"You can't know that"

"Well, I can hope for it"

"Hope isn't the best armor."

"Burying my head in the sand doesn't work either now does it?"

Our voices had gradually been rising, and my temper was flaring.

"I should never have told you this"

Abby looked like I had slapped her. But then, her eyes snapped with fury and she said "Yeah. You know what. You shouldn't have. Because now that I know the truth. You don't have any excuses to hide behind. There's no mysterious danger lurking around the corner. You aren't involved in anything that you have to protect me from now. Now you have to face the truth. And the truth is that you're scared shitless. You've seen how badly it hurts when you lose the person who your heart beats for, and now you're scared to take that risk. You're too scared to give your heart into someone else's keeping. Well tough break bucko!!"

That said, she lunged forward and kissed me. It wasn't a sweet, tender kiss. It was angry, it was sad, it was desperate. It was the result of two years of frustration. It was glorious. Somehow, my hands were tangled in her hair, and hers were cupped behind my head. She pulled away first.

"******Tá mo chroí istigh ionat" I whispered. **

The sparking anger in Abby's eyes faded and her lips, already swollen, curved up into a smile. She leaned forward and kissed me again. This time softly and sweetly. It made me ache to tell her in plain English what I'd already confessed in words she didn't understand. Before that car accident, I was scared to give her my heart. Sucker that I am, I didn't realize she'd had it for a long time.

This time, our kiss broke because we needed air. Abby was still smiling when she pulled my palm to her chest. I could feel her heart beating, a reassuring thump. "It's yours" Funny how with two simple words I was completely overwhelmed. I could think of nothing to say except the truth.

"I love you."

Abby grinned. "So keep me close to you. You say you don't want me hurt, but what hurts me more than anything else is when you tell me, albeit politely, to keep my feelings to myself" And she leaned in for another kiss.

Damnit. Ranger had been right. She had changed the rules on me, and now I couldn't resist. "Never again"

**Tá mo chroí istigh ionat** - My heart is within you

So…. Now you know what Sean's been hiding! And you were rewarded for all that patience and the nice reviews by a little bit of fluff. I know that this ENTIRE chapter (and whoo baby what a long one) was devoted to Sean and Abby, but this is still all about Ranger and Steph!


	13. Chapter 13

I'm sorry I haven't updated for a few days, but things around here have been…. Nutty. However, the little break that I got allowed me to resolve some issues that I've been having with the timeline, so you guys win in the end! Thank you sooooooo much for the lovely reviews of the last chapter. Every time I read one I did a little happy dance!!

Sean is mine, all mine. Ranger isn't

The next day (Steph's POV)

When I went into Ella's apartment at around 10 the next day to pick up Abby, I found her grinning maniacally and mashing up what appeared to be raspberries. She was even humming a little tune to herself. Clearly things had gone well yesterday afternoon. Well, it was a good thing that Abby and Sean could enjoy a little bit of time together until he shipped off to basic training.

Abby noticed that I had come in. "Steph! What are you doing here?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm here to take you the appointment with your orthopedic surgeon smart one. Remember, you have to have a consult about when those giant pins sticking out of your leg can be removed? Plus" I added, grabbing a cookie from the platter on the counter. "I want to hear all the juicy details of what went down last night" What can I say, I'm a burg girl. We love to gossip!

Abby flushed and smiled. "I totally forgot about that doctor's appointment! I have my stuff up here though, if you wanna just wheel me down to the elevator, I'm all ready to go. We can talk details in the car."

Smart girl. Abby knew as well as I did that all the common areas of the building, including the elevator, were bugged

The trip down to the car was strange. Abby and I would make eye contact and giggle, and the men we passed in the hallway gave us strange looks. However, once Abby was loaded into the SUV that Ranger was letting me borrow for the occaision it was like a dam broke.

"Oh my god, you should have been there. Well, not really cause that would have been super duper awkward. But, you know what I mean?"

I nodded.

"Right, so Sean came in and he was all, 'we need to talk.' So, I sort of just assumed the worst and freaked out. Anyways, he interrupted me mid-rant and told me all about his reasons why we couldn't be together. Because of what his father and brother were involved in—"

I interrupted her. "I sort of already know what was going on with Sean. I did some research. I could sort of tell that he was hiding something."

Abby gave me a look but seemed to take this new development in stride. "Sweet, now I don't have to edit for you. Ok, anyways, Sean was afraid that his brother or the other dude involved in the power 

struggle would use me to manipulate him. I pointed out that if it wasn't me, they'd use his mother. He was all prepared to say that it didn't matter, that he didn't want me hurt for any reason, when I sort of changed the rules of the game."

I grinned. Smart, brave girl. "What exactly did you do?"

Abby chortled to herself. "I kissed him. Didn't hold anything back, just straight up lunged for him and went for it. Then, when he was off balance, I told him that he kept talking about not wanting me to be hurt, but doing more damage than anything else by telling me not to act on my emotions. Then I kissed him again."

Now I was impressed. Talk about turning the tables. Using his fear for her against him. Friggin' brilliant. And the truly sad part of that was that it was true. The man who loves you pushes you away, and you would almost rather die than put up with the sweet torture that seeing him entails.

I was brought out from my dark musings when Abby said "…Basically we ended up confessing that we love each other and making out like the teenagers we are for god, I dunno, at least an hour" Abby smiled, and looked rather far away

Ah, the smile of contentment. I didn't know how she could be so happy when the man she loved was leaving in two months. But, we were at the Doctor's office, and I didn't want to burst the happy bubble until after she had to talk about surgery.

I stayed in the waiting room when they wheeled Abby back to the office. This was only supposed to be a quick consult and scheduling appointment. I was pretty sure that Abby could handle it by herself.

As soon as she was wheeled out, I could tell that the prospect of having the giant pins sticking out her leg removed had only made Abby's happy bubble bigger.

We got back in the car, and I was surprised when Abby asked me to drive her to an old bakery in the borderlands of the burg and the slightly more downtown area of Trenton. When we parked, I had my doubts, it seemed run down and shabby. It looked like it had been through the war. However, Abby said that she needed to go inside, so I, being lured to pastry the way I am, helped her out of the car and rolled her into the dingy business.

An older woman and a greasy looking man in a suit were standing behind a counter when we walked in. Abby smiled, pulled a manila folder and a pen out of her bag and asked me to push her closer to the counter. Once there, she levered herself upright, opened the folder, signed what looked like a contract in three places, and then pushed the document over to the old woman. She signed, smiled and said, "Good Luck"

Abby stuck out her hand and smiled back. "With luck and a ton of elbow grease I'm sure I'll be fine. Thank you again. It was a pleasure doing business with you." With that, Abby plunked back down in her chair, nodded to me and said, "Let's go"

I kept my mouth shut until we got back in the car "What was that?" I almost yelled. Well, I was worried. That was a really weird encounter

"I just bought a bakery"

"WHAT!"

"My great aunt Suzy and I were really close. When she died last year, she left me a lot of money and the instructions to 'follow my heart'. I already have a business plan for this place, and I have a client base too. I've basically been running a bakery out of my kitchen for the past two years. But that place back there has all of the modern equipment that I need. It's going to be gorgeous and functional once I clean it up, paint it, and re-name it."

I was speechless. At 18, Abby was going to own, and operate her own business.

"What about college?"

"I don't really want a degree at this time. I'm young, and I might change my mind in the future. But right now, this is what I want to do, and I know I can be successful at it. Besides, I've been taking night accounting classes at the community college here for a year. And I'm the one who makes sure all the bills get paid at home. I know what I'm doing."

Well hell. With that much determination, I was almost sure that Abby could succeed

"So when does this operation begin?"

"The cleaning phase starts in a month, once I have just a walking cast and can move around a lot easier. I'll be doing most of the work by myself, but I was going to ask Sean to help me with some of the heavier work that might need to be done."

"Well, by the time you start cleaning, he'll only have a month to work on it before he leaves."

"Well, I plan on being done in less than a month. Wait, Before he leaves for what?"

"Uh. Didn't he tell you?" Oh Shit.

"Tell me what?"

"I think you should ask him"

"Steph what the hell is going on here?" Abby sounded angry. She sounded the way I usually did when Tank was the one to tell me that Ranger was in the wind. Although that hadn't happened in a while

"Really Abby, talk to Sean about it."

"I'll call him when he gets off work." And just like that, Abby went from furious to curious. "SO, did Sean explaining himself do anything to prompt Ranger towards explaining himself?"

"No. He just told me briefly what he said to Sean when they talked, and then told me goodnight."

"Well shit."

"My sentiments exactly"

"You know Steph, I think that you should really go for the whole, drive him so crazy with desire that he can't think straight thing. But you have to do it sort of subtly. I mean, you can't go around dressed all slutty all the time."

"I know. So what are your thoughts on it then?" I knew my love life was pathetic when I had to take advice from an 18 year old.

"Well, based on things that I've overheard from various sources, Ranger definitely likes you wearing a more 'natural' look, so tone down the makeup. Also, you told me how Ranger's always telling you not to play with fire? Play with it. Seriously"

I blushed. "umm, taunting Ranger is usually not a good idea."

"I didn't say taunt him did I now? No, you've been playing by his rules for years. So, you've got to change the rules."

She lost me. I think she could read the confusion on my face, because she shook her head.

"He's the one who's always pushing you right? Well, he only pushed because he knows that you'll back down. If he was going to jump into your bed like he said he was, he would have done it already. So, he'll kiss you, but there's really no pressure, because you back away every time."

I got it now. "So what you're saying is, be the one to start things and throw him off balance."

"Right. But not only that, you have to talk to him while he's dazed and confused and mentally vulnerable."

I laughed. "I can't even remember my own name when he gets close to me." Besides, I mentally added. I am the biggest chicken when it comes to talking about relationships.

Abby cracked her knuckles. "Use his words against him. Things like, this love doesn't come with a ring and , I love you in my own way. Also, Ranger seems to think that you want the whole white picket fence thing. Ella was muttering about it earlier. Anyways, tell him what you really want."

I was speechless. "How do you know all of this?"

"I pay attention. I'm quiet and I keep to myself when other people are in the room, and they don't know that I speech Spanish. I listen to conversations that people have around me. Even in the Rangeman building, the guys aren't as careful with their words as they think they are."

I shook my head. "Remind me never to piss you off. You're too smart"

Abby cackled evilly. "And I'm deadly with a cookie sheet."

We both laughed, Abby's giggles peppered with the occasional 'ouch'

Thanks again for your patience. If you still care about me at all…. Tell me what you think!


	14. Chapter 14

OK. Since I've been soooo bad with updating recently, I've decided to be really good until this story is over. Expect at least one chapter every day until the end!

Ranger+StephPERFECTION (that isn't mine)

One Month Later (Ranger's POV)

I sighed. Shit. I've been doing that a lot lately, sighing and shaking my head. Well, what else would you expect me to do? Seriously, Abby told me about the bakery that she bought, and the apartment that is above it. She wants to thank me for everything that I've done for her, and so has promised a free basket of goodies to Rangeman every day, and discounts on cake decorating services for all of the special events that anyone in the company has. I'm pretty impressed with her business sense actually. She let me see her business plan, and it's quite impressive. But that wasn't why I'm sighing. Although Abby has told me that she plans to move in to the apartment above the bakery as soon as its habitable, for now, she lives on the fourth floor and helps Ella, and more recently, runs searches.

I shouldn't be complaining, because I get labor in exchange for an apartment that would have otherwise been empty, but now that she's with Sean, well, things have changed a little bit. It's not that their fooling around in the breakroom or anything. Actually, I think that that would be preferable. Sean stops by the Rangeman building every night . Sometimes he and Abby stay in, and sometimes they go out. Sometimes, Sean stays the night. I know from conversations I overhear, that it's not because he's getting any. Lester and Bobby have practically adopted Sean, and they are always giving him crap about the nights when he sleeps over. He's in a worse mood when he leaves than when he gets here. Apparently, (and this is from what I've overheard mind you) you can't really _do_ anything when your girlfriend has large metal objects sticking out of her leg, and a couple of ribs in the process of healing. Abby has been just a touch grouchy lately too. I mentioned it to Steph and she sad, and I quote "She's frustrated Ranger. She's with the man she's in love with constantly, and I'm sure that it's a kind of torture for her not to be able to truly claim what's hers." That had been accompanied by a meaningful look before Steph swayed out of my office.

And that brings me to the main reason why I've been shaking my head and sighing recently. The Babe that I know has changed, and I haven't decided if it's for the worse or better yet. She still acts the same in every way except one, and that's her attitude towards me. When we were in the elevator together a few weeks ago, we were standing in our usual front to back position when she turned around and kissed me. Just out of the blue. Not to say that I didn't like it or anything, but it was unusual. Then, when we pulled apart and I muttered my usual warning about playing with fire, she just laughed and said "Maybe I like the heat." Then the doors opened and she was gone.

If that had been a one off, I could have gone on with life as usual. But then the other day in the alley behind the bail bonds office, our little chat was proceeding as it normally did. Then, when I went to leave, she pulled me back to her and off we went again. This time, when we broke apart she leaned in and whispered 'my love doesn't require accessories'. And then she walked away. I remembered the time that I told her that my love didn't come with a ring. Was she saying she didn't need one? I sighed again. Waiting for Abby to get out of her second surgery was a dangerous time. Steph was sitting right 

next to me, just out of reach, and Sean was sitting across the room, fiddling with something in his pocket. That left me to sit without an expression and think. This was becoming increasingly hard as Steph began to fidget. Usually I wouldn't mind, but with Abby's healthy baking replacing the usual tasty cakes and such, my Babe had begun feeling confident enough to wear tighter clothes. Not good for my self control. Finally, I really couldn't take it anymore, and so I reached over and put my hand on her shoulder to stop her from squirming. She took it as a sign so wriggle closer to me on the already small couch. Steph was practically in my lap. I was screwed.

"So, you going to miss Abby's cooking after next week?" She asked, breaking the silence that had grown awkward

"The men will"

"Well, at least they only have to live without until Abby gets the bakery up and running, which I hear won't be too much longer."

Sean piped in. "As soon as she gets the place cleaned and painted, she'll be operational. She's already ordered the white bags with the bakery name and everything."

"Ambitious" I felt the need to add

"Well, that's Abby for you" Sean smirked and then resumed his fiddling.

My babe was never one that ignored details. "Whatcha got there."

Sean turned lobster red. "Nothing"

Steph turned to me and whispered. "what do you think it is?" She was too curious for her own good.

Besides, her breath behind my ear was making me… twitchy. I needed to shut her up. Truly that was the only thing that motivated me to kiss her. Instead of a quick kiss that I had been expecting, Steph quickly turned this into a deep, passionate kiss. When we broke apart for air I warned her, "Babe."

she smiled and said, "I don't want to be burned. This time."

Lucky for me, the doctor came in and announced that Abby was out of surgery, everything had gone well and as soon as she was awake, she could return home with just her walking cast.

Sean immediately left to sit next to Abby until she woke up, and Steph went to fetch a soda. That left me alone with my thoughts, again. I had been thinking a lot lately about how I felt when Steph had been kidnapped, or harmed. I knew that I loved her, and I also knew what would happen if anything ever really, permanently hurt her. I wouldn't be able to cope, knowing that I had never really told her how I felt. However, by admitting to her that I was in love with her, without a qualifying statement, I would be putting her in more danger by bringing her closer to me. Tank had pointed out that she was in more danger when I distanced myself from her than if she was really with me. I had ignored his statement. But now, it was starting to make more sense. If she was closer to me, instead of this strange 

tug-of-war distance, she would have my protection. Not that she didn't already, but it would be so much easier.

So if that made sense, why hadn't I made my move? Well, it was getting harder not to. Especially after the comment in the alley. If her love didn't require accessories, did that mean that it didn't require a ring? And if it didn't what did it require? And what if she didn't really love me back? I needed to know these answers before I could do anything.

A few days later we were helping Abby move into her apartment above the bakery. Now that she only had the walking cast, she was much more mobile. However, before she had moved in, she and Sean had cleaned the old space out, and repainted. Now the walls were light blues and greens, with white baseboards and new carpets. It looked crisp and bright, and with the dark woods of the furniture that Abby had bought with some of her savings lent the place a colonial Caribbean style. All of the fabrics were white and cream, and I did have to admire her taste. The place resembled an island getaway rather than an apartment in not-quite-downtown Trenton.

Abby and Sean had also been hard at work in the bakery downstairs. Everything in the once grimy kitchen gleamed, and the heavy wooden work surfaces had been sanded down and resealed. Everything looked new, but the biggest change had been in the front of the bakery. The display case had been completely transformed by a thorough scrubbing and bright red casing material instead of the old dingy brass. The walls were a welcoming yellow, and there were bright splashes of aqua and red on the walls in the forms of pictures and other décor. It was bright and cheery, and I had been amazed at the changes that Abby had been able to accomplish in such short time.

Well, in that short time I guess I had also decided to make some changes. Like Steph and I. Tonight, I was going to take her out on a date. Dinner and dancing, and then, back to my place for a serious talk about us.

I was really hoping that the talk about us would go my way. I wanted her to be with me. To give a relationship with me a shot. That was what tonight was about. I wanted her to see that despite all the shit I said about my life not lending itself to relationships, that I was willing to try one with her.

YAY, Ranger finally pulled his head out of his ass. WOOT! I'm gladly accepting reviews, criticisms, and cookies!


	15. Chapter 15

So, maybe I shouldn't post these at 3am… but that's when I feel most inspired! It's not my fault that I'm nuts like that. Just a couple more chapters to go…. And you won't BELIEVE what happens next cue dramatic music So, enjoy!

Ranger and Steph don't belong to me. Doesn't life suck?

Steph's P.O.V.

I had important things to do, and none of them could be accomplished with Ranger and Sean hanging around. After all the lifting and carrying was done, I told the boys to get back to work. Sean kissed Abby goodbye, but his eyes were saying _hello_. I'm pretty sure that my eyes usually say the same thing when Ranger and I make any sort of contact at all. Ranger interrupted my musings. "Babe. See you at seven" And kissed me breathless. Finally he pulled away and swaggered out of the room. I watched him go and sighed. Abby giggled behind me

"So, seven tonight huh?" she queried.

"Yeah. We have a date."

I was shocked that the windows didn't shatter when Abby let out a screech of what I would call triumph.

"Finally!! I knew the plan would work!" Abby then preceded to do a rather awkward happy dance. With one leg held straight, it was pretty funny to watch.

"So where are you going? What are you doing? What are you wearing?"

" I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know"

"Holy shit."

"Yeah"

"Mall?"

"Yeah."

I grabbed my purse and helped Abby down the stairs. We had some serious shopping to do. I had a mystery date with the man of mystery and I had no idea what to wear. I hoped that something would come to me when I was at Macy's.

We had to stop in the bakery for a few moments in order for Abby to make sure all the lights were turned out, and the doors were locked. We were just about to leave when the bell over the door rang. It sounded like a warning to me. The man standing just inside the bakery door was about 6 foot tall, and well muscled. My spidey sense was screaming at me. This was not good.

Abby seemed to feel it too. She stood straighter, stiffer and said. "I'm sorry, but we don't open for another three days."

The man smiled, and I did not feel comforted. "Sorry. I saw the lights on and I just assumed that you were open. Do you happen to have a flyer? " He asked while stepping closer.

"No flyers." Abby replied, her voice flat.

"Shame."

The man had kept one hand in his pocket, but in the ensuing awkward silence, I heard a familiar hum. Oh no. Stun gun.

I looked to Abby, about to tell her to run, when the buzzing got louder, and the world went black.

Ouch. My head hurt. Actually, everything hurt. I should probably open my eyes, but that seemed like an awful lot of effort. However, someone was humming in the background. I needed to tell them to shut it. But, it was sort of soothing. I opened my eyes.

The sight that greeted me was not what I had expected. Well, maybe I should have expected it. Suddenly, the scene in the bakery came back to me.

I was happy to see it was Abby who was humming. She was sitting in the corner with her eyes closed. Her hands were cuffed behind her back. I took a quick glance around before I tried to talk. We were in a room with carpet and a wooden door. There was a window, and a closet without doors. It looked like an unused bedroom in someone's home. I shook my head. As far as kidnapee accommodations went, this was pretty cushy.

"Hey. Whatcha singing?" was my first comment to Abby

Her eyes snapped open. "They weren't there. Missy Higgings. Welcome back to the land of the living."

"How long have I been out?"

"About 15 minutes since I woke up. Other than that, I have no idea."

"Shit."

"Yeah. But it's still light out. So maybe you won't be late for your date tonight." Her voice cracked at the end.

"Hey. No crying now. We can cry after this mess is over. But I make it a rule never to cry while kidnapped."

Abby sniffed. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I think these are the guys that Sean was worried about."

I shook my head. "On the bright side, we're not anywhere too spooky and once they kidnap you once, they usually don't do it again."

"Oh, what a relief." Abby's sarcasm was biting, but at least she wasn't on the verge of tears.

"So. This is my first time having a buddy in this situation. As a newcomer to the land of 'oh shit a psycho grabbed me' what are your thoughts." I had asked the question in the voice of a newscaster. Most people would have cried, but I knew that Abby thought my dark humor was hilarious. Sure enough, she giggled.

"Well, at first, I was terrified. But, like you said, this is pretty swank. Now, I'm just incredibly pissed off. Also, I have to pee."

I shook my head. "Thinking about it makes it worse"

"I know, that's why I was humming."

We were saved from having to make more conversation when the doorknob turned. The man who walked in the door was not the man who grabbed us. Great.

"Lovely to see you awake"

"Usually I don't take naps during the day, but that was quite refreshing." Abby quipped. I shot her a warning glance. It usually wasn't wise to piss off the people who had you under control.

This guy just laughed. Not a good sign.

"Fiery."

Abby shook her head. "I prefer spunky, if it's all the same to you"

The man shook his head. "As you like it."

I was getting suspicious. No one was ever this polite to the people they took.

"So. What exactly do you want from us?" I quipped

The guy didn't even take his eyes off Abby when he answered me. "You we grabbed on accident. Her we need."

"Did you run out of cupcake mix?" Abby queried

The man laughed again. He reached forward and ran his fingers through Abby's blonde hair. "Your baking is delightful, but not the reason we have you here. We need you to persuade Sean to help us."

Abby jerked away from the man's hand. "You'll get nothing from me if you touch me again."

He slapped her, hard, across the face. A tactic I recognized. But I still cringed. "What makes you think you can control anything here?" His voice was smooth and polite, but actions speak louder than words. "You may control Sean with that pretty face and nice smile, but make no mistake, I'm in control here."

Abby looked mad enough to spit. I shook my head. Lucky for me, she didn't say anything else. She just sighed and glared.

"As for you" The man spun towards me. "You're stuck here with her until Sean sees things my way."

"Have you called him yet?" Abby asked, looking innocent.

"No princess, I was waiting for you to wake up. He wouldn't believe me if I didn't have proof, and couriers for body parts are so expensive these days."

I cringed. It was clear what this bastard was implying. How Abby managed to look completely calm baffled me.

"Well, you'll have to unlock my cuffs for me to dial the number."

Smart girl

But the man just shook his head "You'll tell me the number, and I'll dial"

Abby rolled her eyes. "I've got a broken leg. What kind of crap do you think I can pull when I can't move from a seated position?"

"It's never worth the risk. " The man was no longer smiling. Abby needed to stop taunting him.

"Fine. Here." And she told him Sean's cell number.

The man listened to the phone ring, taunted Sean for a while once he answered, the usual, come work for me or we'll cut her into little bits and scatter the pieces to the four corners of the earth, not cops, blah blah blah. Then, he put the phone on speaker and motioned for Abby to talk.

"Hey Sean. Me and Steph are fine, don't worry."

"Abby." His voice cracked. "I'm so sorry. I'll get you out. Abby, I"

"Sean, I'm fine. Don't do anything stupid. I can handle myself"

The man took the phone off speaker and put it back to his ear. Tomorrow, noon, meet us at the usual spot." Then he hung up

"Oh dear darling, you missed your beloved telling you how much he loves you."

"Well damn. 'Cause I've never heard that before. I think I've actually forgotten how Sean feels about me."

Too far. I whispered. But it was too late.

The man reared back and punched Abby, snapping her head back so it smacked into the wall behind her.

"Spunk I like. Disrespect, I don't. Understand?"

Abby rubbed the blood from the cut that his ring had opened on her cheek using her shoulder "Got it."

He stroked the undamaged side of her face. "Good."

As soon as the lock in the door snicked shut behind him Abby's iron composure shattered. Lucky for me, She descended into fury, not despair. She started swearing in a myriad of languages, and once she went through everything once, she started again. My head was spinning.

"Ok, enough." I commanded her. Although I have to say, I was impressed.

Abby laughed harshly. "I was getting bored anyway."

"Please tell me you haven't fallen completely off your rocker?"

"Nope. Actually. As disgusting as that little encounter was, we now know some key information. Sean knows that you're with me, which means he's going to go straight to Ranger. Secondly, they are going to keep us here in relatively mint condition until noon tomorrow."

"Well, if you're right about Sean going to Ranger, we'll have people looking for any trace of us in seconds."

"True, but we could be anywhere between Trenton and Boston."

"Good point. What are you thinking?"

"Well, I'm thinking that it should be relatively easy to get my hands in front of me, and, since we're somewhere residential, this window shouldn't be more than two stories high."

"I used to sneak out of my house all of the time."

"Exactly. We should wait until it's dark, and if help hasn't come by then, we can make a break for it. Can you get your hands in front of you?"

"Probably"

"Awesome. Well, we should look out the window and make as much of a plan as we can until it gets dark. But I don't think we should move our hands until we're ready to make a break for it. Let them think that we're docile little hostages."

"Gotcha" And with that I stood up. The window looked out over a deck. Shit. Decks usually meant sliding glass doors. Which made it really easy to see us try to escape. But the railing seemed close to the window. With Abby being so tall, she might be able to stand on the rail and then help me out. This might actually work.

I turned back to Abby. "We can do this."

OOH SHOCKER and A CLIFFIE! Please don't kill me!! I'm typing so fast my keyboard is smoking! New chapter tomorrow morning! Please review! (do you at least enjoy all my exclamation points?)


	16. Chapter 16

I know that I'm a horrible authoress for abandoning my story for so long, but I just started college and things have been kind of hectic. I can't give you the exact time of my next update, but it will be soon. I have plans!!

Abby and Sean are mine. Steph and Ranger aren't. Points to you if you know who the name Dresden really belongs to!

Abby brought her hands in front of the cast. "Shit," she swore. "There is no way I'm climbing out of a window with this thing on. I need to be able to bend my knee, or I'll fall off the deck railing.

I nodded. I had been thinking the same thing. "Have you taken it off before?"

Abby blushed and nodded. "At night"

I so did not want to go there right now. "So the issue is?"

"My right leg is really stiff when I first take this damn thing off, and it's really weak. I need to warm it up."

"We don't have time."

"I know. You'd better be praying."

I nodded

"Okay, she said, loosening the Velcro straps as quietly as possible. "I want you to toss this thing out to me once I get down. Then, climb out. We're going to have to improvise once we get down."

I snorted. "Improvisation is my middle name." That and plans had a tendency to fall to shit around me.

Abby smiled and then winced as she got up, the bruises that had started to form on her face were obviously beginning to hurt. She hobbled towards the window and pulled off the screen. She swung one leg out and over, preparing herself to go."

I had something I needed to know before she did though. "Hey, one final question."

"Sure," Abby said, looking down to ensure that she wouldn't be seen.

"What's Ranger's favorite dessert?"

For the first time that night, I saw Abby grin. She clucked her tongue. "I'll tell you when the time is right." And then she swung her other leg over the windowsill. She hung on to the window frame, stomach pressed against the house. I leaned over to make sure that all was well. The night was pitch black after the brightness of the room, but the sliding glass door spilled enough light for me to see the railing. Abby's feet dangled about three feet away from the railing.

"Steph" She whispered urgently "I need you to lower me down."

I had figured it would come to this, so I grabbed her hands and leaned down, bending with my hips crushed against the window frame. But Abby's feet hung were now on the railing.

"I'm good" She whispered. I let go and reeled myself back in. I grabbed Abby's walking cast. Holy shit this thing weighed a ton. With my hands still handcuffed together, it was hard to get a good grip on it. However, if we were going to make a break for it, Abby would need it.

I grunted and swung the brace over and out the window. Then, because this is me we're talking about here, I lost my grip and the brace fell with a thwack into the grass below. "Hurry" Abby muttered. She was exposed on the balcony waiting for me. I swung my feet over the windowsill and hung, arms straight. My feet dangled about three and a half feet away from the railing. Abby quickly saw that I wasn't going to let go and take my chances on landing on a 4" beam.

"Quick, I'm going to grab your foot, and you're gonna pretend I'm a solid object. Put all your weight on my hands, and keep your body pressed against the wall as much as possible."

If Abby thought that was seriously going to happen, She was cracked. But, I felt her palms underneath my foot, and decided that I didn't really have a choice. I could either go with it and have a shot at not breaking anything, or let go of the window and fall who knows how far, possibly breaking my leg and making further escape impossible.

So, I did what Abby told me to and miraculously felt myself being slowly lowered until the foot that Abby wasn't holding hit the railing. I was giddy with relief, but we couldn't celebrate just yet. We were still in enemy territory. I smirked. I totally stole that thought from Ranger.

"Now what?" I whispered to Abby

"I dunno. Think we can get down the stairs and climb that fence without being caught?"

"I can if you can. Will your leg handle the stairs?"

"Yeah, but after we get over that fence I'm going to need my brace."

"Okay, we'll run down the stairs, and you run to the fence. I'll grab the brace, and then give you a boost and toss the brace over. I think I can make the fence on my own."

"You better be able to"

I sneered in the dark. "When my life is on the line, I can become pretty athletic."

"Fine."

"Stay on your toes on the stairs. We're trying to be stealth."

Abby rolled her eyes at me, but nodded anyways. "On three. One, Two, Three." She whispered

And then we were off. I was praying that no one was watching the deck as we ran across it. Apparently, God was listening to me today. We made it down the stairs and onto the grass without incident. But, as soon as Abby and I split up, there was trouble.

Abby shot off towards the fence. Your life was powerful motivation to ignore the pain of a partially healed broken bone.

I grabbed Abby's cast from where it was laying on the grass. As I turned towards the fence though, I saw a shape move towards me through the night. Shit. This called for a whole new level of speed. I booked it to the fence, but whoever was chasing me was a little too close for comfort. When I judged myself close enough, I chucked Abby's cast over the fence, and then in a feat of athleticism that impressed myself, I flung myself up and scrabbled over the fence. I landed, unsurprisingly, on top of Abby. My adrenaline was going full tilt. If we didn't get out of here soon, I was pretty sure that at least one other person was going to be following me over the fence. And that would not be good.

I rolled off Abby. "We've got to move." I heard her take a shaky breath.

"k" she muttered. I was distracted by the sound of someone landing a few feet to my left.

Then, there was the unmistakable sound of the hammer being pulled back on a gun.

"That wasn't very nice of you, making an injured girl jump a fence." Snarled a voice far too close to me

"It wasn't very nice of you to kidnap her," I flung back. Not taunting the crazies was so overrated anyways.

There was a snort, and then a rustle of movement. " Now, we're going to go around front, calmly and back to the house."

I was thinking to myself how odd it was that Abby hadn't said anything yet, but then I heard her voice. Not from the ground, like I expected, but somewhere over my shoulder. "I don't think so"

And then there was a crack. It wasn't a gunshot though. I spun slowly, and saw in the dim light, Abby standing over the prone form of a man, her giant, heavy brace on his face.

"You ok?" I asked her

"Let's get out of here"

I noticed that she didn't answer my question. As the queen of evasion, I recognized avoidance. However, I didn't want to draw attention to the pain that Abby must be feeling, so I just nodded and we set off away from the house. After all the drama about the brace, we'd had to leave it behind. There just wasn't time to let Abby strap the damn thing back on. We were running, or in Abby's case, limp/running. I was praying for an occupied house, or someone with a cell phone.

After about two minutes, I saw lights. There was a house up ahead. Thank god. Abby had been whimpering every couple of steps. Not good. If she spent the remainder of the time before Sean left with her leg in traction, I was pretty sure they would both turn into homicidal maniacs.

"We're close"

Abby's only response was a terse "Good." Unfortunately, we weren't all that close. It was five minutes later before we could see the outline of the house that we were running towards. The thing was massive. Where on earth were we?

It didn't matter though. As long as there was someone who would let us use a phone, we would be just fine. And maybe they'd give Abby some aspirin. Of course, if they were wealthy, they might have something a little better than aspirin lying around.

Three minutes later, Abby was muttering something unintelligible in rhythm with her steps. I guessed that it was something that would give her a reason to go forward. I caught the words Sean, bedpost, frosting, and decided that I was better off not hearing anything else. We were almost to the front door. Finally. I stopped before we walked onto the driveway. Abby bumped into me, and almost lost her balance. In the light from the house I could see her clearly. There was dirt all over her face and the pretty dress that she'd been wearing. There were tear tracks down her cheeks, even though I hadn't heard her sobbing. I was pretty sure that I didn't look much better.

"We need a story."

Abby glanced at me.

"If we just ring the doorbell and say 'hey, we've been kidnapped, can we use your phone' they're gonna think we're Looney and call the cops. "

Abby nodded. "I'll handle it." She rasped

Then, she wobbled determinedly towards the door. I trailed behind her. She rang the doorbell, and turned on the tears full force. When I do that, my face gets all blotchy and swollen. When Abby did that, her eyes got all big, and some tears streamed down her face. Ti looked like someone had run over her puppy.

When the door swung open to reveal an tall man with tanned skin and white hair, I knew we had hit pay dirt. Very few people who looked like that could say no to a tall blonde who looked like Abby did when she cried. Athough, this is my life we're talking about here, and I couldn't really be sure of anything. This guy might be some cold blooded killer. Please let me not be right. Once again, God was listening, because the man seemed to go pale under his tan.

"Lizzy?" He whispered.

Umm ok, weird much, but Abby just kept on crying, and the poor old man seemed to snap back from wherever he had wandered off to. "Oh, my. Can I help you? Come in, of course I can." This was said with a gentle tone, and the man extended his hand, but then snatched it back, as if afraid that touching Abby would freak her out. Good instincts, that guy.

Abby sobbed. "Thank you. I just, can I just use your phone?"

The man nodded. "Of course, come in, come in." And with that, we were inside. The man handed Abby a phone and nodded at us both. "I'm sure you'd like some privacy to make your call. I'm Mr. Dresden, and I'll be right down the hall. Come to the kitchen when you're done. I'll make tea."

Okay then. That was weird. I mean seriously, who opens there door to total strangers in what appeared to be the middle of the night ushers them in, and hands them a telephone without commenting on the state of their clothes and the fact that they seem to be handcuffed. I had a suspicion that it might have had something to do with the 'Lizzy' that the old man had sort of mentioned earlier. But, my spidey sense wasn't going off, so I figured we'd be safe enough until Ranger, the Merry Men and Sean came by to get us.

I turned back to Abby and raised both eyebrows, cause I can't do one.

"I'm dialing, yes." She muttered, and plopped onto a couch.

" Sean?" She whispered into the phone a few seconds later. "I'm alright. We got out. Yes." And then Abby giggled. "Tell Ranger to stop pacing, Steph is right here." Then, she handed the phone to me.

"Ranger?" I asked. Hell, this wasn't even the worst kidnapping I'd ever had, but I needed Ranger. Now.

"Oh god, Babe. We'll be there soon. Are you safe for another 30 minutes?"

"Yeah. We're good."

"Good."

"Rain check on the dinner? It really wasn't my fault this time."

Ranger chuckled over the phone. "Whenever you want."

"K. I need to go. Make sure Bobby comes with you to pick us up. Abby doesn't look so good."

I heard someone suck in a breath on the other end of the line. "She probably just needs some good pain meds and a nice rest."

Abby piped up from the couch. "Abby needs some damn good chocolate."

I did laugh at that. "Abby says that when I get my ice cream, she'd better have some chocolate."

"As you wish."

I had to smile at that. The princess bride is quite possibly the most hilariously romantic thing ever. "Thanks."

"See you in 20 Babe."

And then Ranger hung up. Huh. It was almost as if he'd said goodbye on the phone.

Ps, for those of you who are confused about the whole cast/brace thing, imagine one of those awful boots that you have to wear if you screw up your ankle. You know, plastic, secured with Velcro. Now imagine a really long one of those. That's what I'm talking about.


	17. Chapter 17

Yay, finally another chapter! Sorry for the long wait, but it's here at last!

As always, Steph and Ranger belong to JE and each other, Abby and Sean are mine, and if boys weren't idiots, none of us would have to resort to fanfiction!

As soon as I hung up the phone, I plopped down next to Abby on the couch. "We should really go to the kitchen" I nudged

Abby sighed. "You're going to have to help me get there."

I nodded. And we both hauled ourselves up from the couch. Abby leaned against me, and together we made our way to the kitchen. The man was there, digging through a drawer. Surprisingly, the kitchen had a warm, homey feel, and I felt Abby relax. Trust her to judge someone by the comfort of their kitchen.

"Oh good. Is someone on their way to get you?" He queried, still fishing around in the drawer.

"Yes." I replied, curious as to what he was looking for.

"Ah, gotcha." He muttered. "Here, now you can get those cuffs off." He slapped down what I recognized as a handcuff key onto the counter. I was surprised, but again, my weirdness radar wasn't pointing to hinky, so I just went with being grateful. I undid Abby's cuffs, and she took care of mine. Then Abby smiled, a real, genuine smile. Mr. Dresden grinned back at her, and I was left totally confused.

"Steph, how long before the guys get here?" She asked, still beaming.

"Ummm, half an hour"

"Perfect," Abby said, and hobbled over to the sink to wash her hands

"Am I missing something here?" I wondered out loud

"Mr. Dresden can tell you." Abby said as she made her way to the fridge. "I have a promise to fulfill."

I looked toward our host, and he smiled and began talking. "Abby came into the ER where I was working 9 years ago. She was staying with her great aunt and got bitten by a brown recluse spider. She was very feverish, but when she saw me, her eyes got huge and she whispered, "Pear with gruyere" and then passed out. I was shocked, but I didn't let it stop me from taking care of my patient. However, as soon as I got her stable and on the mend, I went out to tell her family what had happened. In the waiting room, I saw Abby's great aunt, the woman who I had fallen in love with well, lets just say many years ago. We had gotten into an argument one night, and she left me while I was at work the next day. I hadn't seen her since then, but she had never been far from my mind. She had been the one who introduced me to my favorite desert, pear and gruyere pie. Which is why I had been so shocked when Abby said those words to me. No one else I had ever met had even heard of such a strange combination, and suddenly two show up at once! Anyways, I saw Lizzie in that waiting room, and all those years that had passed seemed like time wasted. Long story short, Abby got better and went home to her parents, and Liz and I started courting again." He paused here for a breath and Abby, who had been chopping pears and mixing what appeared to be the makings of a crust cut in.

"When auntie Liz died, Mr. Dresden wasn't at her funeral. I understood. Watching them put here in the ground made it too real. However, I knew that my great aunt wouldn't want the love of her life to be lonely forever, so I left him a note by her grace. I knew that he would come visit her."

Dresden resumed his story. "I did eventually visit Lizzie, and I found the note. Among other things, the note promised me what when our paths crossed again Abby would bake me my favorite pie. She said that no one should have to learn without love or good dessert. From all that I heard from Liz about her grand-niece, I knew she never joked about baked goods, so I've usually kept the ingredients around. "

I sighed. This was too crazy. I directed my next comment at Abby. "So now you're baking pie."

"Yup."

"Why didn't you mention that you knew him?"

"Well, honestly I didn't recognize him. I hadn't seen him since I was 9, and he looked very different back then. Besides, my great aunt never called him 'Dresden' when she was talking about him. It was always 'Fritz' or 'my boyfriend' never anything about his last name. I sort of couldn't remember it right off the top of my head."

"I'm sure." I muttered. Yeesh. Talk about soap operas! Abby should be writing one based on her life

"Do you want some arnica gel for your cheek?" Dresden asked Abby

"I would love some"

Dresden left, and Abby put the now complete pie in the oven.

"How're you holding up?" She asked me

"Are you kidding me?" I questioned, disbelieving. I'm the professional kidnapping victim here. And that jerk hadn't even touched me. Abby's face was a mess, and she'd run a good distance on a barely healed bone, and she was worried about me?!? The girl was nuts. I opened my mouth to point all of this out to her, but was prevented from doing so by the sound of gravel being crunched under tires. Batman and his posse had arrived.

Abby must have heard the tires too, because she took off down the hall towards the front door. She was hobbling, but still covering a good amount of ground. I went tearing off after her. The tingling on the back of my neck was getting to me, and nothing got rid of the lingering fear after kidnapping than a good hug from ranger.

We reached the front door just as Mr. Dresden was coming down the stairs. "Anxious are we?" he teased as Abby flung open the door. She snorted as she ran past a startled Ranger, standing in full S.W.A.T. mode. I almost giggled, but then suddenly I was careening into him, and he rocked back with the force of my impact. He didn't seem to care all that much, because suddenly, his arms were around me, and he was muttering something in Spanish into my hair.

Screw muttering to himself, I though, I have better ideas for those lips. So, I pulled away from him slightly and when he looked down at me with an eyebrow quirked, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. The was a harsh, I missed you, thank god you're alive kind of kiss, but when we broke for air, Ranger leaned back down and kissed me more gently. I felt some hope. Maybe my ingenious plan of seduction was working after all. Perhaps my most recent kidnapping which couldn't be either of our faults had finally pushed Batman over the edge. My musings were interrupted when Ranger brushed his thumb across my cheekbone. "Babe," he whispered. Then, Lester, resident pain in the ass wolf whistled. I turned to glare at him, but shockingly, he had decided to ruin someone else's moment. I looked in the direction he was so clearly mocking.

Sean, who I learned later had been told to wait in the car, had swooped Abby up in a spin reminiscent of the courtyard scene in Ever After. They were both grinning like idiots, and I almost wanted to sigh at the cuteness of it all. Then, Sean went to set Abby down, and Abby's leg buckled. Sean kept a hold of her, and they sank down to the gravel together. I saw him brush her hair back from her face, and then my view was blocked by Mr. Dresden, who had rushed over to make sure that Abby was going to be ok. I knew that Abby was in good hands now, so I turned my attention back to the man in black who still had his arms locked around my waist.

"You know, a rescue operation doesn't count as a first date."

Well, there it is, I know it's a short one, but hang in there, the next chapter is filled with awesomeness and fluff! Also, I would love to hear what y'all think of it! Also, if you don't know which scene I'm referring to in Ever After, you clearly need to watch that masterpiece of fluff again


	18. Chapter 18

I think this qualifies as my fastest update in months. Go Me! Hahaha. Ok, so finals are coming up, and I might feel the need to study. If that happens, the next chapter might take me a while. However, if I feel the need to procrastinate, the next chapter will be posted soon.

Ranger and Stephanie still don't belong to me. If they did, things would be very very different!

2 Days Later

Ranger had broken into my apartment, again, and after a brief conversation about the craziness of the past few days, his eyes darkened and he stalked towards me. Damn but the man is sexy. "Babe" he whispered hoarsely, grabbing me by the hips and pulling my body into his. I shuddered and DAMN IT!!!!!. Why the bloody hell was my alarm clock ringing? Crap. In the middle of such a lovely dream too! I rolled over and slapped my alarm clock into silent submission. Now, if only I could remember why I set the damn thing in the first place. Why would I need to be awake at 8:00am on a Monday morning? I looked around my room for clues. If I was supposed to go running, Ranger would have been here. Since he was noticeably absent, I could cross that off my list. I sighed, although whether out of relief or disappointment I couldn't quite say. I may hate running, but running behind Ranger wasn't exactly hard on the eyes. The hormones yes, but never the eyes. Hmmm maybe Abby should invent a new confection called Ranger buns, like hot cross buns, only better. That idea definitely had merit. Oh yeah. Now I remember what I was thinking when I set my alarm. Today was Abby's Grand Opening!

Motivated by the thought of fresh pastry, I rushed myself though my morning routine, jumped in my car, and sped off towards the soon to be famous, (or at least infamous) Blonde Bombshell Bakery.

The place was a mad-house when I got there at 9:00 am. Women, housewives from the look of them, were standing in a line gossiping. Abby's new employees, ex-housewives and bored housewives were bustling behind the bakery case laughing and chatting with their customers. Everything looked great, but I couldn't see Abby anywhere.

Suddenly, the doors to the back kitchen opened, and Abby, wearing a dress and her frilly apron walked through them with a tray of treats. She was practically glowing, and now wonder! Her bakery was going to make a killing. Healthy but delicious baked goods that housewives and career women could pretend they made themselves. It was brilliant.

I sauntered up to the counter and smiled at Abby.

"Steph! Thank God you're here!" She exclaimed.

"What, were you afraid I wasn't going to show or something?"

"No, I was afraid you weren't going to show up in time."

I was puzzled "In time for what?"

Abby just grinned and shook her head. "Stay here a sec." Then, she disappeared into the area where all of the magic was created. A few seconds later she re-emerged with a bakery box that had a black bow on top. She came around from the back of the counter and shoved the box into my arms.

"I would suggest not opening this here." She smirked. "Go home. Seriously. I have to work." And with that, she clunked off in her new brace back behind the counter.

Well ok then. I guess that it was a little early for me to be showing my face at the bonds office. The girls would be suspicious if I went there now. This decided, I drove back to my apartment

By the time I unlocked the door, I was almost rabid with curiosity. The box had been mocking me the whole drive home. As soon as I ascertained that I was alone in the apartment, I opened the box.

I was glad that I hadn't opened it in the bakery. I plopped down on the floor in shock. Inside the box was a perfectly square eight in cake, covered in gorgeous exotic flowers. I touched one of the petals, and was amazed to feel hardened fondant. Then, I noticed the inside of the lid was covered in a familiar loopy scrawl,

Babe,

Our first date didn't go quite as I had planned. Tonight, I want to make it up to you. Be ready by 8pm

R

And that was it! The whole bloody note. I wasn't sure whether to be pissed or giddy. I looked at the sugar flowers and decided on giddy. C'mon! The man regularly tells me that my sugar intake is going to kill me, but he knows that it makes me happy. Hence, and entire bouquet of flowers made from almost pure sugar.

My happy buzz was killed instantly when I realized that once again Ranger had given me no hints as to what we would be doing or where we would be going. Shit. I still needed to get my ass to Macy's. This wasn't a mission that could be accomplished alone. I picked up the phone.

"Blonde Bombshell Bakery, how can I help you" inquired a friendly voice

"I need to speak to Abby please."

"She's in the back"

"Just tell her its Steph, and that this is an emergency."

"Sure. Hold on just a sec.

And then I was put on hold. Thank god Abby hadn't gone in for the craptastic elevator music. It seemed she managed to find some 50's music to go with the theme and feel of her bakery.

"Steph, what's going on?" Abby's voice came over the phone, slightly worried.

"Ranger asked me out again. I need a Macy's buddy."

"I close at 2pm today. Pick me up at 2:30"

"You rock"

Her giggle sounded absolutely giddy and reckless, guess somebody was happy. Then, realization struck me. "Abby, did you make those flowers?"

"Yeah. I took a bunch of cake decorating classes in my spare time. Once this place really gets going, I'm going to start doing special order stuff."

"Well, the flowers are gorgeous and fabulous, I thought they were real."

"Thanks. Listen, we've got tons to talk about later, but right now I've really got to go.

"Have fun"

"Oh yeah, It's party central over here. Ranger just sent a guy over to pick up their daily pastry box. I have to go quell the impending riot."

And then she hung up. I understood. I mean, come on, a Rangeman in a crowded bakery full of burg moms? Riot would be an understatement.

I spent the next few hours productively. I called into the office, ascertained that there were no files for me, cleaned my apartment, and slept. 2:30 found me parked in front of the bakery. Abby locked the front door and hobbled quickly over to my car.

"Leg bothering you?" I asked

"It's just tired. Even if it was, I wouldn't let it stop me. I too must buy a date outfit at Macy's. Sean swung by on his lunch break He's taking me out tonight to celebrate"

"You don't sound thrilled"

"There was something weird in his tone of voice. Not like 'I'm going to dump you weird' but 'I'm worried about something that I'm keeping hidden from you"

"Well, you did give him quite a scare a few days ago."

"True" Then she laughed. "I should've gotten kidnapped months ago!"

"WHAT!?" I squawked. Usually people were much much much more terrified by the whole experience. They certainly didn't wish it had happened sooner.

"Sean has been keeping my closer than ever. Apparently, scaring the crap out of the man who loves you makes them a teensy bit clingy and overprotective."

I laughed. That was true indeed. Ranger had left on a business trip to Atlanta a few hours after coming to our rescue, but he had asked me to drive his car back from the airport, and held my hand the whole way there. And I'm pretty sure that if I thought about his goodbye kiss while driving we wouldn't make It to Macy's in one piece.

"Hey, um, speaking of scaring the crap out of people, how would you feel about going down to Boston on Saturday?"

"WHAT?!?" yeesh screeching was becoming a habit. I pulled into the parking lot, grabbed a spot and hopped out of the car.

"Look," Abby explained as we made our way through Macy's. "I think that we can settle this situation better than the guys. I mean seriously, the guys are probably thinking that they'll just beat the snot out of that creepazoid who grabbed us, and He'll leave us alone. But, he's like number 2 in the Irish mafia. There's no way in hell he'd tolerate that kind of insult. He'd lose all his street cred."

"So you're suggesting we do what exactly?" I asked, rather suspiciously.

"Well, we could OH MY GOD!"

Apparently, Abby had found an outfit she liked. I glanced over. If it fit her the way that it was supposed to, it was certainly an omg worthy outfit.

"You'd better be trying that on"

Abby nodded vigorously and then dove back into the rack. "Steph, did he give you any idea of , well, anything?"

"No," I sighed. "So now I have to figure out what on earth I'm going to wear on a date in mid fall. It's going to be too chilly to pull off a dress, but not cold enough to wear an actual sweater.

"Steph, this was made for you" Abby said, holding out another outfit that would make a man's jaw drop, or in Ranger's case an eyebrow raise.

I didn't really feel the need to browse any further, so Abby and I headed to the dressing rooms. As soon as I pulled the sweater over my head, I knew it was perfect. I stepped out to see how Abby looked, and stopped dead in my tracks. Blonde Bombshell was right.

"Wow," she said, grinning, "With some knee high brown leather boots, that outfit is going to kill."

I looked down at the plum colored ¾ sleeve v-neck sweater and dark wash denim skirt that I was wearing. "You think?"

"Hell yeah! High heeled knee length brown leather would bring up the sex appeal and keep your legs warm"

"Abby, sometimes we're so similar it scares me"

She cracked up. "So, what do you think?" She asked, spinning. She was wearing an emerald green cowl neck sweater, also ¾ sleeve. It was extra long, and fell to where the zipper began on her jeans. It was tight enough to flatter, without being vulgar.

"You look ridiculously good!"

"Back at cha! Now, we just need sex-kitten shoes to finish us off!"

"No strappy ones for you though."

"Totally. Shall we peruse the shoes?"

I agreed, and after changing back into everyday attire, we went to rummage through the infamous Macy's shoe department. "Abby, check these out!" They were totally perfect for her outfit. Deep purple flats with a square toe and oversized silver buckle.

"Ooh, those are too cute! And check out these babies!" She held up a pair of pointy toed brown leather boots with a three inch stiletto heel.

"The fabulosity continues" I said, in my most valley girl voice. We trundled victoriously to the cash register and then headed to the food court to discuss strategy.

"So, you want to go to Boston because…" I started off.

"Right. Well, if we want to be ignored by the power struggle we need to talk to the one person who can control it."

I almost sprayed Abby with the gulp of soda that I had just taken. "You want to go see the head of the Irish Mafia in America?"

Abby nodded

"And what exactly do you think that this would accomplish, other than getting us killed of course"

"No. Think about it from a guy's perspective. If Sean or Ranger show up on your doorstep, demanding that you leave their women alone, you're not really going to want to cooperate."

"Ok"

"But, I two vulnerable little women show up, possibly with baked goods, both having been recently kidnapped, one have been recently beaten," Abby's hand gently brushed against her swollen discolored cheek and split lip. I was still shocked that she had gone on with the opening of the bakery. If I looked like that I would have stayed home. Abby continued, "both of them terrified and all that shit, maybe you might take pity on them. Especially considering that one is the girlfriend of your best soldier's son, and the other belongs to the mighty Manoso."

I felt the need to object. "I don't belong to anyone."

Abby just rolled her eyes and kept talking "Guy's perspective, remember. Anyways, The big cheese might feel so bad that he tells his imbecilic heirs to leave us the hell alone."

"That actually makes sense Abby. But I'm not really involved in all of this drama."

"Well, you coming would further prove that this psychotic SOB is just grabbing people at random. I mean, you're a brunette, I'm a blonde, you're shortish, I'm a giant. It doesn't really take that much brain power to tell us apart. So, if he's just grabbing whoever he feels like grabbing, it might discredit him. I mean, mom bosses have to be smart, and kidnapping the well known bombshell bounty hunter and risking the wrath of batman is NOT smart. So then, if the guy's son is discredited, and Sean's brother becomes the next big cheese, then Sean and his family are safe." Abby sat back, apparently exhausted from having to spell all of this out to me.

The girl was scary smart. "I'm glad you're on my side of the law."

Abby gigged. "So, how're you going to do your hair?"

Leaving me a review might encourage me to write faster…. Thanks sooo much to all of you who have reviewed so far. I give you virtual cookies! (fresh baked!)


	19. Chapter 19

Please don't hate me because this isn't a new chapter! I have news! So, because I am a moron, I didn't back up the chapters I had written for this story. Of course, when my laptop exploded (yes, literally) I lost all of my data. That is why there haven't been any new chapters in so long! I know, I am a lazy, terrible authoress. FEAR NOT. I have recovered the next three chapters, and they shall be posted within the week. I apologize once again for being such a horrible person!

CSG4ME


	20. Chapter 20

Hey y'all I'm baaaack!!! As promised the next chapter is here! YAY!!! Thanks so much for hanging in there, and I really appreciate everyone who wrote me a quickie note about how excited they were for this chapter. You guys are the bomb!!! So, I'm planning on posting these next two chapters one per day, but I suppose I could change my plans… ;) Anyways, thanks again, and I hope that all of you are having a great summer!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ranger and Steph, and I'm pretty sure that Abby and Sean have now run away from me in a fit of temper! Also, the Ben and Jerry's flavors belong to the two men you know for sure will never let you down. As I am not male, pretty sure that's not me.

When I opened my door, I was expecting badass in black Ranger, so when I saw Ranger in a dark red shirt and a pair of jeans that fit like they were made for him, I almost had a panic attack. "Hey" Wow. Seriously, did I just make that sound? That was definitely more 'I want to rip your clothes off and eat you for dinner' than 'nice to see you'.

Of course, Ranger being who and what he is, just grinned and with darker eyes than usual responded with a throaty "Babe".

Damn, what that man can do to me with a single word! Right, I needed to get this date on the road, or we weren't going to leave my apartment, and I would be left with another morning after that I didn't want to remember. That thought was definitely enough to derail the 'Ranger is a sex god' train. I grabbed my purse, and we headed down to the cayenne. I was very relieved that Ranger hadn't greeted me in a suit or anything too dressy. It would have called for an outfit change, and I didn't currently have anything in my closet that is more classy than slutty.

The drive to mystery dinner was completely silent, but hey, what can you expect. At least Ranger kept his hand on my thigh the entire time, and that was enough to keep me focused more on breathing than wondering what the night had in store for me. Finally, after driving for half an hour, we pulled up to a small restaurant on the oceanfront. From the parking lot, I could see a patio that was over the water, strung with white lights. It looked beautiful, romantic, and relaxed, which were the three things that I had been hoping this night would be.

I snuck a quick look at Ranger, only to see him smiling softly at me as he turned the car off.

"This work Babe?"

"Of course"

And then Ranger got out of the car and opened my door for me. He escorted me into the restaurant, which was painted in warm yellows and rich reds, with soft Latin music playing in the background. Without even taking our name, the hostess led us to a table outside, turned on a heater, and left. I was shocked. She didn't even ogle Ranger. And while Ranger is delectable in any situation, in casual clothes he was damn near irresistible.

"So, I thought you might like to try some real Cuban food," Ranger began, "Don't worry, it's just as artery clogging as your favorite Italian dishes."

I couldn't help but laugh, and the conversation just started to flow. Ranger was explaining to me some of the menu items, but also telling me a little bit about his family. Things like "When Celia was pregnant, she ate her weight daily in fried plantains, and after a while, we all thought that the kid was going to turn into one of them."

It was really sweet to see Ranger open, relaxed and smiling. I assumed of course that there had been security measures taken that I wasn't aware of, but I really didn't care. I had gotten what I wanted (well, sort of) so I was just going to enjoy the moment and go with the flow .

The next morning I woke up smiling, stretching out on the softest sheets I've ever known. My date with Ranger had been absolutely wonderful. There were flowers, dinner, dancing, and for once, conversation. Yes, the man of few words actually had an entire conversation with full sentences. I had been so relaxed, and there was never a better date in the whole history of the world. Well, at least in the world of Stephanie Plum. And, while there was no confession of undying love, the option of 'someday' was suddenly, well, an option.

"Babe"

Well speak of the devil. "Batman." I teased, sitting up slowly. No, I hadn't spent the night doing the horizontal mambo with the Cuban Sex God. But, well, but the time we got back to Trenton it was late, and his place was just closer. I spent the night snuggled into my new Ranger pillow, and slept better than I ever had before. I was NOT going to give this up ever. And if he even thought of pulling stunts like he used to, I would show him just how well his life did lend itself to relationships.

"Babe? I smell something burning"

I giggled and looked at the smug man standing next to the bed. Mother of God was that a baaad idea. How on earth was I supposed to 'go slow' when Ranger decided to walk around in nothing but a low slung pair of sweatpants?

When I met his eyes after a rather long perusal of his body the amusement from earlier had been wholly replaced by lust. I licked my lips and lent forward but, the moment before our lips would meet, my cell phone started playing 'She Can Get It'. Well damn. That was Abby, and while she could probably get it, I couldn't seem to get any. Ranger just shook his head and left the room, and I glared at the piece of technology that had ruined my moment.

"What?!" I demanded, after pressing talk.

"Steph," Abby sobbed "I am losing my damn mind. I'm off at 2:30. Please," she hiccupped and then took a few gasping breaths. "Please, just come over before I do something really, really stupid."

I glanced at the clock. Only 10 am. "Are you sure you'll be ok until then?"

She hiccupped again "I've got a bakery to run, and why that idiot thought that my only break all day would be a freaking fabulous time to – well, shit. Just come over. And dear god bring me some Dublin Mudslide." Then she sobbed again "Actually, Everything But The. I don't think I can look at anything remotely Irish right now."

And with that, Abby hung up. I sat for a moment, and just stared at my phone. I'd find out soon enough what all of this was about. I pulled on my clothes from last night and headed out of the bedroom.

Ranger was pouring himself a cup of coffee, so I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade. "I should probably get moving, I have to get some stuff done today."

Ranger set his mug down and turned so he was smiling down at me. "Gonna go save the world today Wonder Woman?"

"Nah, just my hamster. I think the state of my apartment is a menace to his health."

Ranger grinned and suddenly I had a hard time staying upright.

"Okay Babe, see you on Monday."

"I might even be on time if Abby's treats are going to be provided."

"That the only reason you come to work Babe?"

"Nope, the boss is pretty hot."

Ranger actually laughed this time, and after throwing on a shirt, he drove me back to my apartment. He didn't park the car, and when I tried to raise my eyebrow at him, he gave me his wolf grin.

"If I come up, I'm going to stay, and as much as I want to, I can't do that. I refuse to risk screwing this up again Babe. I never want you to have a doubt about me again."

I grinned back, while the girly part of me swooned "As you wish Batman." And then, I leaned in and gave him the best goodbye-for-now kiss that I could muster. As soon as we broke apart for air, I got out of the car and, putting a little extra sway in my hips,. I headed up to my apartment.

***** Extra-Super Bonus!!*********RPOV*****************************************

As soon as Steph disappeared into her building I let my head drop forward against the steering wheel. How was I going to survive much longer? That kiss made me want to take Steph in the front seat of my car, seniors with binoculars be damned! She was seriously getting to me, and I was doomed. Doomed to what I wasn't quite sure yet. I had thought that after waiting for so long, a few more weeks would be nothing. Oh how wrong I was.

After I realized that I had been beating my head against the steering wheel for 5 minutes, I burned rubber back to Rangeman. Saturday was paperwork day, but somehow I didn't think that I'd be getting much done until I'd had a very long, very cold shower.


	21. Chapter 21

Thanks for all of the reviews! I'm keeping my promise, and trying to post one new chapter a day! Hope y'all are still enjoying the story

I still don't own any of the characters except for Sean and Abby… and the recipes are MINE bwahahahahaha

SPOV

I pulled up to Abby's at exactly 2:35 and rang the buzzer for her apartment. The Abby that greeted me seemed like an alien. Her eyes were puffy, but she looked pissed off beyond all imagining. She was wearing some old baggy jeans and a shirt that said 'silence is golden, but duct tape is silver'. I held out one of the chocolate bars that I'd brought over along with 2 pints of ice cream.

"What did he do?" I asked, half horrified and already pissed off at the idiot buy that had already put Abby through so much.

"He's leaving. In three weeks. For the Navy." And then Abby dissolved into angry tears.

I helped her up the stairs, confused, and handed her a tub of ice cream and a spoon. As soon as I got her seated on the couch, I nodded. "Ok, explain."

"Well, last night was amazing, but something was a little off. Anyways, today I was taking my break and Sean stopped by, looking all nervous. I thought it was about the mob thing but NO. He's decided to join the Navy an-"

I cut her off "He didn't tell you?"

"WHAT?!" Abby screeched. "You knew? Oh bloody hell did everyone know?"

"Well, yeah."

Abby slammed the lid on her pint and towed me out of her apartment. "You're driving me to the shop he works at. Right. Now."

I was not going to argue with Abby at this point, so I got in the car. I followed her terse directions, and then decided that I might need some back up. I hit speed dial 1

"Babe?"

"Ummm, yeah, Anyone free right now?"

"What for?" He sounded concerned, and that almost made me smile

"Abby is going to kill Sean, and I can't stop her. Pretty sure I don't even really want to try. Would you like to send a few guys to where he works so someone can prevent a homicide?"

Ranger's teasing voice was suddenly grim. "He didn't get her pregnant did her? Because if he did, the guys are just going to assist in the killing, and then help her hide the body."

I slid my eyes to Abby. "Pretty sure that's not her motive. Just hurry, we're almost there."

Abby snatched the phone from my hand. "No one interferes unless he is in mortal danger. Got it?" And then Abby hung up.

Oh shit. She just ordered Ranger to do something and hung up on him. This was not going to end well. Not at all.

We pulled up to the shop and Abby was out the door and into the garage before I had completely stopped. I slammed my car into park and jumped out.

Abby was speaking in the deadly calm 'gimme what I want or die' voice that I'd heard Ranger use during the Scrog nightmare. "Sean is taking his break now" And then she grabbed him out from under the hood of the car he was working on and hauled him to the driveway. She reached back and slapped him as hard as she could. I winced.

"You son of a bitch!" She hissed

"Abby wait, I can ex-"

"What, you can explain? Damnit Sean, why didn't you tell me? Why did you even do this in the first place? I mean, if you want to get away from me so badly, you could've just said so. You didn't have to go and sign up for something that could possibly kill you."

Abby's voice had been rising as she spoke, and by the time she finished, she was screaming and crying. Everyone in the garage had stopped working to watch, and I was dimly aware that Ranger and a few merry men were now standing behind me.

Abby started again, calmer now.

"I'm done." And she started to walk away.

"Wait!" Sean whispered, choking, and then louder, "Abby wait! Please, just listen."

Abby stopped walking and stood straight facing away from the man that was practically begging for her.

Sean took a deep breath and continued. "I signed up the day I saw your bruises. Jesus. I thought," He gulped down some more air and ran greasy fingers through his hair. "I thought that I couldn't protect you. Not just the car accident, but from the people that would try to hurt you to get to me. I saw how easily I could lose you, and I couldn't risk your safety. I wanted to leave, get some training, learn to fight, to be able to defend you if I had to. When I came back, we could be together, I could take care of you, keep you safe from those people."

Abby shook her head, still with her back to him and queried, "And if I'd moved on."

"If you were happy, in love, I would've left you alone. But if you still smiled at me like you always had, I would've moved heaven and earth to win you back. Abby, please!"

Abby seemed to waver for a moment, and Sean's shoulders slumped. I wanted to yell at Abby, but knew that this was her choice. My thoughts however, were screeching. 'Good lord girl! The man signed away his life in an attempt to keep you safe. He might die for that decision. He would do anything for you. It's painfully obvious that he loves you!' All of this went careening through my mind in a millisecond.

Abby turned and launched herself into Sean's arms. They were both crying. Someone from the garage started clapping, and then we all joined in.

I was distracted then by the little voice in the back of my head. '_Isn't what Sean did pretty much what Ranger did when he shot Abruzzi to keep you safe? The way that he almost died for you and Julie? The way that he could still go to prison for ever and ever for some of the things he's done for you?_' The thought plowed into me like a ton of bricks, and all my plans to elucidate how Ranger felt for me went flying. I didn't have to get him to confess it. I already knew.

I turned around and saw the corners of Ranger's mouth turn up. "Babe?"

"You love me." I whispered.

Surprise washed across his face, followed by the largest, most sincerely sweet smile I'd ever seen. Then he nodded. "Yeah Babe, I love you." And he didn't qualify it.

I grinned back at him, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I love you too." I said and threw myself into his arms. We kissed each other senseless, only parting when we needed air.

"Babe" he laughed

"Well, if you had just said cute shit like that." I jerked my head to where Sean and Abby were still locked together. "Instead of using words like grenades, it wouldn't have taken me so long to figure it out."

Ranger threw his head back, and laughed harder than I'd ever heard.

Don't worry guys, I've got like 5 chapters left at least! Once again, this chapter makes me insecure, so be nice and click the pretty button! Please?


	22. Chapter 22

To all of those that were concerned that I had forgotten about the plot of the story, let this chapter be reassurance. I just couldn't keep my fave peeps apart any longer  I hope you all continue to enjoy!

I still don't own Ranger or Steph, although Ranger is totally on my wish list.

After the scene at the garage, the week seemed to fly by. Ranger and I spent every second together. Well, not every second, but a whole lot of time. I saw Abby when she dropped off goodies in the morning, and she was pretty much glowing. Apparently, Sean had changed his hours at the garage so he got off half an hour after Abby closed down the bakery. What they did with all that time, I'm not sure I wanted to know.

The only interruption of the smooth plow of the week came on Wednesday morning. After dropping off the usual goody basket, Abby pulled me aside.

"Are we still on for Saturday?" She asked

I had completely forgotten about that. "Yeah, I guess."

"Great. I had Sean's mom set up an appointment for us."

"An appointment? Are you freaking nuts?!" I was trying hard not to draw the guys' attention to us by refraining from screaming.

"Well, it's not an appointment per se, she just found out when Mr. O'Shaughnessy would be home."

"Oh, well, I guess that's marginally less suicidal then."

"Shut up. Anywho, just tell Ranger you're having a girl's day with me."

"Fine." I huffed, already thinking of how to convince Ranger not to hunt me down and kill me for what I was planning.

"Cool." Abby grinned. "See ya tomorrow!"

And after a few text messages determining the final details, we were ready for another meeting with a mob boss.

I picked up Abby at 7am. We would get to the head honcho's house at about 10:30am. I was wearing a pair of dressy jeans and a cute blouse. When Abby disentangled herself from Sean (who seemed determined to keep her by his side through sheer force of lip lock) I noticed she was wearing an adorable blue sundress and white kitten heel sandals, carrying a basket and basically looking like a good little burg girl on her way to a picnic.

The ride down was uneventful, with us blasting tunes, singing at the top of our lungs, and when that got dull, talking. We were both pretty pleased with how far along we had gotten in our genius plans to get our men, although Abby was rather upset that hers was leaving in just under two weeks. She told me that she was planning on expanding the Bakery to take on more cake decorating jobs while Sean was gone. She thought it would be a good distraction, and great for her business., I couldn't disagree with her on either point, and we discussed her expansion plan until suddenly a large gate loomed before us. We were there.

The gate had a box where you could either punch in the access code, or the intercom. Abby, having taken over my usual role of slightly-suicidal-and-overly-curious, leaned over to push the intercom button.

"Hi, my name is Abby Foster, and I'm here to see Mr. O'Shaughnessy."

The box crackled as if contemplating for a moment, then spoke. Well, someone answered our request in a rather heavy Boston accent. "Mr. O'Shaughnessy isn't seeing visitors at the moment."

Abby giggled and winked at me, then pressed the button again. "I'm a friend of Mrs. Margaret Hennessey and I just wanted to give Mr. O her regards."

The box crackled again and then the gate swung open. "Follow the drive to the main house." The voice told us.

Abby leaned back in her seat, humming 'We're off to see the Wizard.' As we pulled up the drive to the house, I almost passed out. The place was an enormous Tudor, complete with stone façade and turret, as well as ivy.

Abby sighed. "I want a house like that, with jasmine growing up the front so that my home always smells beautiful."

I smiled "If your bakery keeps turning and burning the way it has been, the dream will be a reality in no time flat."

Abby nodded absently and then climbed out of the truck and walked towards the two guards who had come out to meet us. I followed suit, watching the men's' reaction to Abby. Sweet as she looked in that little dress, with her basket, her face was still an interesting assortment of colors, and she was still in a rather harsh looking brace that stretched from mid thigh to mid calf. She looked like a victim, and the men were sizing her up. But then she smiled at the biggest and (in my opinion) scariest guard and held out her basket. "Cookie?" She asked.


	23. Chapter 23

I realize how short the other one was, and I don't want y'all to feel gyped! Here's a nice, long chapter for ya

I only get to play with Ranger, but he only wants to play with Steph. Why is life so unfair? (in other words, R&S are not my property)

I was sweating bullets when the two men, who must have been brought up with Ranger 'cause they weren't talking, let us into the house and through a maze of rooms and hallways. Abby was pouting because both of the men had resisted both her smile and her baked foods.

The four of us finally ended up in a large library/office at what I assumed to be the back of the house. The guards left, locking the doors behind them. Abby and I were left staring at a grandfatherly looking man behind a massive oak desk. Abby was looking at him oddly and then she broke out in a massive grin

"You're Mr. O'Shaughnessy?" She blurted. "Weren't you at Maggie's 50th birthday party last summer?"

"Ah yes. Abby. Now I remember. You baked that delightful cake. And please, you're my guests now, call me Patrick."

I was doing a wonderful impersonation of a fish, opening and closing my mouth

"Oh how rude," Abby laughed. "Patrick, may I introduce Stephanie Plum, Bombshell Bounty Hunter of Trenton?"

Patrick chuckled "Of course my dear. Have a seat please, both of you."

We sat in the chairs in a nook of the room and Patrick joined us on the other side of a small table. Abby set the basket down on the table and removed the cloth that had been covering her delicious confections.

"Patrick, I'm so sorry, but I wasn't able to bring your favorite dessert with me today. However, I did bring most of the selection of pastries that we offer at my bakery. I hope you enjoy them. Your men couldn't me tempted."

Patrick laughed. "Abby, what kind of business do you think I run here hmm? In the experience of my men, anyone offering baked goods is usually up to no good."

"Well, that might explain it then." Abby grinned, trying and succeeding apparently to charm the pants off of the old man. I usually fail at being charming to old people. Ramos doesn't count in my book. Anyways, I was planning on keeping quiet, but then Patrick's attention turned to me.

"Now Miss Plum, I know Abby just stopped by to drop of pastries and Maggie's tidings, but what brings you here."

I bit back a smile. Seriously? Did the man really think that Abby was just my ticket in here? "Actually Patrick, Abby and I both came to discuss a recent kidnapping with you."

Suddenly the jovial old man was gone, and I was left looking into a pair of eyes that didn't seem as if they ever smiled.

Patrick's voice was icy when he spoke next. "You think I might know something about this kidnapping?"

Abby reached out and laid a hand on top of his. "No, we came to tell you about one you should know something about."

Patrick looked momentarily confused, but I wasn't at all convinced. Then, Abby whispered, in her 'I'm so sheltered and vulnerable' voice. "My kidnapping to be precise."

The surprise on Patrick's face was either genuine, or the man deserved an Oscar. He looked a little closer at Abby's face and seemed to notice the lingering swelling and discoloration under her makeup. "Good lord. Who did this?" His voice was icy, and I would've bet my life that it made grown men pee themselves in fear.

I decided to cut in, knowing how uncomfortable Abby was with the pity being directed at her. "Your son and his goons actually. And they grabbed me too. I happened to be with Abby when she was snatched, and the kidnapper just decided to take a two for one special."

Patrick turned back to Abby. "Have you run afoul of the law? Why were you with Ms. Plum?"

Abby shook her head. "Steph and I were going shopping for date clothes. I've been seeing Sean Hennessey lately, and Stephanie is dating Ranger Manoso."

I decided to cut to the chase. "Basically, sir, Sean's brother, and your son, are both in a position to be your successor. Your son kidnapped Abby in order to use her as leverage to turn Sean away from his brother."

Abby interrupted. "Patrick, Sean and his mother have had nothing to do with your business for years, and this struggle is affecting both of them. Sean is a good man, and I love him. I can't see him hurt because someone decided he would serve a cause he hates. Please, tell them to leave him, Maggie and me alone."

The disjointed way that Abby spoke made me turn sharply to her. I'd never seen her lose her composure and here she was having a hard time stringing sentences together. I only hoped that Patrick would be affected by her display.

"Patrick,. I don't know if you've heard of Ranger, but he's a dangerous man when Steph is involved. We wanted to come to you and see if you would intervene before your son does something foolish like this again and bring Ranger's wrath upon himself."

Patrick turned back to me. "I know Mr. Manoso. I respect him. And, Ms. Plum, I have heard of you as well. I would also not wish to bring your wrath upon my businesses and associates. That said, there isn't really much that I can do with the two who are competing for my power."

"You could just tell them to leave people who are uninvolved out of it" Abby was getting angry.

"Abby, Ms. Plum. Essentially, you are asking me to reprimand my own son, publicly. It would shift the balance of power that I have tried so hard to create."

Abby let go of the hand that she'd been patting. "It's already shifted." She muttered, standing and beginning to pace. "Look. Think about it. Your son 'accidentally' grabbed Steph. What do you think would've happened if we hadn't escaped? Do you think Ranger would've just let it go? No. The only reason he hasn't already stormed this building is that Steph and I told him it was no big deal. That the thug had learned his lesson. He does not suffer fools Patrick. And what your son did was foolish. Look at Steph and I. We are completely dissimilar. How on earth could we be mistaken for each other? But he grabbed both of us. Would've used Steph for entertainment if we hadn't told him who she was." Abby took a breath and Patrick rose, obviously angry.

"Young lady, are you trying to tell me who my successor should be? You know nothing about my organization, or what is at stake, or who the players even are."

Abby whirled back as I sat in my chair, horrified. She was worse than me at this whole negotiating with old codgers thing!

"I'm not trying to tell you anything except that your son made a very impulsive, very stupid decision that hurt me, and people I love. And who do you think is next hmm? Your son must've realized that if he can't get through to Sean by using me, the only other person he could manipulate him through is Maggie. Maggie could be in danger next."

That seemed to take the wind right out of Patrick's sails. "Maggie is the widow of a colleague, she is off limits."

Abby drew herself up. "She is the widow of one of your best men, and the mother of a man who is just trying to make an honest living for himself, a man who joined the Navy because he wanted to learn how to defend the girl he loves against the threat that his brother's life poses. Please, just tell your people to leave us alone."

After that rather impassioned speech, Abby sat demurely back in her chair, while Patrick continued to pace.

I decided to add my two cents. "Patrick," I said calmly. "I know you're in a very tight spot right now, and we don't want to add any more to the burden that you already carry. But we've come to ask for your help, because we just want the people we love to be safe. Surely you understand that?"

Patrick ran his fingers through his hair and then turned back to us. "Ladies, I don't know how to fix this. Then again, I've only had a few moments to think about it. I'll help you any way I can, I just don't know how that will be."

Abby stood again and walked towards Patrick. I was in shock when he let her give him a hug. I was even more surprised when he hugged her back and buried his nose in her hair. The sweet moment that could've been a grand-daughter hugging her long lost grand-pa was ruined when my cell phone rang with the Batman theme. I would've ignored it, but that could have terrible consequences.

"Hey Ranger." I noticed the hug breaking up, and Abby mouthed 'kitchen' to me before she and Patrick left me in the library.

"Babe."

"Whatsup?" ha-ha, play stupid until accused, cause that always works.

"Where are you?"

"With Abby in Boston."

"You needed to go to Boston to shop?"

"Abby wanted to."

I could practically hear Ranger's frustration. "So, where are you two shopping right now?" Shit, I had totally forgotten about the tracker. Add that to Google earth, and I was sooo in trouble.

"Well, Abby decided to go see a good friend of Sean's mother while we were in town."

Ranger sighed. Oh, this was bad. Ranger actually sighing out loud… on the phone. Not good. Not good at all.

"Are you safe? Are you doing something that I would consider an unnecessary risk?"

I smiled. Well, this was a pleasant change. No yelling, no assumption that I was doing something stupid, just making sure that I was ok. "No Ranger, I'm not taking an unnecessary risk, and I'm perfectly safe. Abby is in the kitchen right now, catching up and baking."

"Alright babe, just call me when you get home."

"I will"

I expected to hear the click and then dial tone that usually marked the end of a conversation with Ranger. Instead, there was a quiet, "Love you babe" that almost made me pass out where I was standing. Even though we'd both admitted how we felt, and said those three words to each other multiple times, more than once a day, I still had a hard time realizing that this was my new reality.

"Love you too."

We hung up and I walked in to the kitchen, where Patrick was dancing a jig, and Abby was twirling around, wearing a flour covered apron. They were both laughing like loons, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Abby caught sight of me and stopped spinning, clinging to a counter and catching her breath. "Steph, you look happy. Can I assume that the cavalry is not outside, gearing up to charge the gates?"

I shook my head. "no, the cavalry isn't in S.W.A.T. gear as we speak."

Abby turned to Patrick "Well, the bread is baking, and we need to get home before our respective men flip out. It was so lovely to see you again! If you're ever in Trenton, please, stop by the bakery. And call Maggie. She misses you." Abby had untied the apron, but Patrick shook his head.

"Keep it. It belongs on a happy woman in a kitchen, not just hanging there reminding an old fart of the good old days."

Abby once again hugged him, and then the two of us scurried out of the mansion.

"Well, that was both easier and harder than I expected." I said.

Abby grinned and nodded.

The drive back to Trenton was quiet, and when I dropped Abby back off at her apartment, I noticed that the lights were on. Sean was obviously there.

"Abby," I started

"Look Steph. I'm really going to need something to do when Sean is gone. I'll be expanding the bakery, but I would really like to learn how to defend myself better. Can you talk to Ranger for me?"

I nodded "Abby, you know that you've got two whole weeks before he goes. You should take a trip together, get someone to handle the bakery for a little bit. "

Abby nodded. "I'll think about it. But you know you and Ranger should take a little vacation too. You could both use some alone time after all those years. I think a long weekend, or a week, of uninterrupted debauchery could be just what you need."

I blushed. "You have a dirty mind."

"Never denied it. Look, thanks for everything today, I'll bring you extra chocolate tomorrow."

"No problem. Now, go on up to the man that loves you."

Abby bounced (as much as it was possible for her to bounce) out of the car and then yelled over her shoulder. "Go on home to the man who loves you!"

She laughed and disappeared into her building. I thought she had a good plan, and she'd better hide the extra goodies for me in the morning. Something told me I might be a little late getting to the office.

I have some an epic epilogue planned, so stay tuned!!!!! But, OMG IT"S SORTA DONE?!?!?! Freaky. Hope y'all enjoyed! Let me know by clicking the pretty blue button!


	24. Chapter 24

Yay, finally, the epilogue I promised many moons ago. I'm so sorry that I didn't post this sooner, but life took a really unexpected turn shortly after I wrote the last chapter, and suffice it to say, I had no desire to write. But, I am back now, and I hope you all will forgive me for being such a TERRIBLE authoress

I still don't own Ranger or Steph, Property of JE, blah blah blah

SPOV

I yawned and stretched, arching off of the most sinful sheets anywhere on the face of the earth and cracked my eyes open to be greeted by another beautiful tropical morning. Yes, I said tropical. I had told Ranger last week that we should take a trip, just the two of us. Low and behold, Batman swooped in, and swept me off to the Bahamas two days later. I've lost track of the days here, but we're headed back to Trenton tomorrow so we can be present for Sean's going away party.

"Babe, breakfast awaits" Ranger called from the main room of our enormous luxury suite.

I grinned, rolled out of bed, and strolled to the doorway that separated the two rooms "Please tell me you ordered more than fruit today" I drawled, propping a hip against the door frame.

Ranger turned to answer me, and I watched his playful smile turn into a wolf grin. Oh, did I not mention I woke up naked? Yeah, whoops, forgot about clothing and all that… again

"Babe" he growled, "If you want breakfast, you'd better stop playing with fire"

"Ranger," I said sweetly, "You know I've always been a bit of a pyro."

He pounced, and let's just say that I didn't see much of the beach our last day in Tropical Paradise.

Abby and Ella had totally outdone themselves this time. The backyard of Abby's parent's house was strung with lights, streamers, and gas heaters to ward off the chill of the November air. Every available surface in the kitchen was filled with trays of snacks or baked goods or decorations. This looked more like a celebration than a goodbye party. I told Abby as much and she just laughed, but there may have been tears in her eyes.

She and Sean had taken their own little trip last week, albeit to San Francisco instead of the Bahamas. Abby missed her old hometown, and Sean had never seen it. She came back and has been talking nonstop about the fog and Chinatown and how they got lost in the Mall. I would have been rolling my eyes, but I knew that this was just her way of keeping herself from thinking about Sean leaving so soon.

I was rocked out of my remembrance when Abby nudged me with her hip and nodded towards the door. "Our first guest is here" I turned, and there was casual Ranger. All decked out in jeans and a button down shirt. I don't know how he manages it, but every time I see him, he looks better. I may have drooled a little bit because Abby just started laughing and Ranger smiled and said "Babe"

After greeting me properly (what, so I want to makeout with my boyfriend is that a crime?) He turned to Abby.

"This place looks great."

"Thanks," she smiled. "I wanted it to be a happy thing and the best way to do that is with good food, good friends, and great decorations. Besides, with Ella helping me, I could do no wrong."

Ranger just nodded "Will your parents be here?" He asked.

Abby looked a little sad. "No, I guess I forgot to tell you guys in all the craziness that has come up recently. My parents decided that all their work is in the UK and Europe, and now that I'm completely independent and all, they are just going to stay over there permanently. They come back the day after Sean leaves to pack and start shipping everything to their new house in England. "

I was stunned, "So you'll be all alone for Christmas?"

Abby nodded. "Ella is going to visit her family, and she offered to take me with her, but I just feel like that would be weird."

The merry men had been arriving as this conversation was taking place, being greeted by Ella at the front door. Lester, who always made the morning pastry run, must've heard that Abby was going to be alone for Christmas just barged in to the conversation and said "You're just going to have Christmas with us then! We usually just go out for Chinese when we're off shift, but I think we should try to do something a little bit more traditional,"

Abby's eyes lit up "Oh, does that mean I could cook a full on feast?"

Lester nodded like a bobble head doll and Bobby chimed in "Sugar, you could make spaghetti o's and we'd all be happy."

Abby got a little tearier than she had been all day, and threw herself at Lester, Bobby, and Hal, who happened to be standing so close. "I haven't had a real Christmas in years. You guys better prepare yourself for a Holiday Extravaganza the likes of which Rangeman has never seen!"

"Hey!" Came a new voice "You guys better get your stinking paws offa my girl!! Yeesh, I'm not even gone yet and you're making moves on her."

Abby immediately started squirming away from the guys and towards her boyfriend. "Sean!" She yelled, smacking him on the arm "You weren't supposed to get here for another hour! This was supposed to be a surprise!"

He grabbed her around the waist and bent her backwards in a dip before murmuring "I was surprised" against her lips before going in for a kiss.

I was a little disgusted, with the whole display, but also a little jealous. Ranger never dips me backwards! I sent an experimental glare his way and he just raised an eyebrow, grinned, and swooped down on me, peppering my face with tiny kisses. The merry men where hooting and hollering, but neither Sean and Abby nor Ranger and I particularly cared.

Finally, Abby shoved Sean to arms length away and yelled, "Well, since the man of the hour is here, were might as well eat!"

The merry men dove for the food and everybody proceeded to have a good time until there was a sudden knock on the door. Abby scurried out of Sean's arms and opened the door.

Patrick and a smallish woman who had Sean's black hair and green eyes were standing there.

"Patrick, Maggie, so glad you could make it!" Abby exclaimed.

Maggie grinned and kissed Abby on both cheeks. "As if I would miss my own son's going away party. For shame!"

Abby laughed delightedly and replied "Well, you certainly are lucky that I mad extra dessert! I didn't know you'd be bringing a date!"

Patrick laughed, and gave Abby a peck on the cheek. "Well my dear, it's your fault. You left her an entire bread pudding before you went away last week."

Abby just shook her head "And here I thought I was being subtle!"

The evening passed very quickly, and pretty soon Abby announced that if everyone would go outside, she'd bring out the dessert. She asked me to help her and dragged me in to the kitchen, hollering at Ranger to save me a seat

"Ok." She said, grinning mischievously. "The time has come. I made everybody here their favorite dessert, and in order for Ranger to get his, you have to know what it is."

I nodded, knowing at this point that dessert was sacred to Abby and even questioning her crazy was pointless.

"Right" She nodded and handed me a small plate of four chocolate chip cookies.

"This is Ranger's favorite dessert?"

Abby just giggled and leaned in closer. "Not quite." She whispered some instructions to me, and I helped her carry out a few serving trays piled high with paper plates with names written on them and little desserts on top. There were mini pies, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and some strange concoctions that I didn't even want to contemplate

As soon as all the desserts were handed out, Abby stood in the center of the yard and shouted for attention. She smiled, and said "I just wanted to thank all of you for being here tonight, and for being such wonderful friends to Sean and me. I know I've only known most of you for six months or so, but in that time, you've become my family." Then she turned to Sean and continued "You know that I love you more than anything else, and I just wanted to say that I am proud of you, and I'll miss you and" Abby choked off into silence and Ranger stood up, still holding my hand.

"Sean, The guys and I wanted you to know that the road ahead isn't going to be an easy one but we all survived it, and so can you. You have the strength, courage, and intellect to make an excellent soldier. We are very proud to know you"

Abby and I were sniffling at this point, and then Sean walked over to where Abby was. He smiled at everyone and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Thank you all for being here tonight." He said "Abby said that she thinks of you as family, and so do I. I cannot imagine a better group of people. I will miss all of you. But, there is one thing that I need to do before I say goodbye in order to make sure that you two" he shot a pointed glare at Lester and Bobby "won't make another move on my girl"

I broke out into an idiotic grin, glancing at Ella and Maggie as they did the same.

Sean got down on one knee in front of Abby and took a hold of her hand "Abby, I know we're young, but I love you. I've loved you since you sat down next to me at lunch and offered me a cookie. I knew for sure you were the one for me when you beat up a man who was threatening you with a sheet pan" everyone laughed "You are the strongest, smartest, most beautiful girl that I know, and I want to be with you forever. Abby, a thaisce, will you marry me?" He pulled out a beautiful, elegant solitaire and Abby sobbed out "yes"

Everyone went nuts and started cheering and clapping, Ella Maggie and I cried, and then everyone ate their dessert.

When we got back to the 7th floor that night, I was still floating on a cloud of romance. Ranger opened the door for me and I twirled in, acting like an idiot and not caring. I was responsible for that moment in the backyard. I helped Abby make Sean see sense, and I had a Cuban sex god who loved me. Life did not get better than this. Well, except for one thing.

"Ranger" I 'pouted' "You didn't eat any dessert!"

He chuckled and said "Babe, Abby couldn't serve it at her party."

I gave myself a mental high-five and harrumphed, marching into the bedroom. While he was still in the main area of the apartment, I gobbled down two of the chocolate chip cookies Abby had given me, changed into a bit of nothing lingerie, and swaggered back out to the sofa. Ranger was already stretched out, getting ready to watch the late show with me, like we always did, and it made my job so much easier. I pounced, straddling him and giving him a deep kiss. When we pulled away to breathe, Ranger's eyes were completely black, and I purred "Batman should never have to go without his favorite dessert."

_OMG, it is DONE!! Shock, tears, idon'tevenknowwhat!!! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and thanks so much for being patient!!!! _

_CSG_


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